Observations
by DapperDestruction
Summary: Some observations that Spock and Kirk make about eachother, at the beginning. Develops into an actual plot line in chapter 5. There's a budding relationship evolving. Slowbuildng. K/S. Probably eventual other pairings.
1. Those Damn Eyebrows

It was that damn eyebrow.

The maddeningly smooth half-Vulcan always arched it so elegantly, at a point when Jim had just started to think that he'd figured him out. That eyebrow was like a screwball that not even Sammy Sosa could hit. It was infuriating!

Whatever he said, it almost always seemed to end in some skeptical look accompanied by a single raised eyebrow, already turned up on the outer reaches, like a Vulcan's always was, trekking upwards into his hair.

It meant so many different things, in so many different situations. Talk about infinite diversity in infinite possibilities—that eyebrow could mean _anything_.

'Quite illogical, Captain.'

'I am confused.'

'That is surprising.'

'You are a fool, Captain.'

'I am going to annihilate you, Jim.'

Any of those, and more were typical sentiments behind an eyebrow arch from Spock.

That damn eyebrow was, God forbid anyone ever heard him say it (especially Bones—he would never let his friend hear the end of it), _endearing_. It was almost cute, even. On otherwise stoic features the extraordinarily mobile eyebrows stuck out like two sore thumbs. It was horribly distracting, especially on the bridge.

Those damn eyebrows.

--------

A/N: Okay, so there's the first chapter. I plan for the first couple to be short and sweet, like this, but then they'll get into more of an actual story line. This will probably end up being an M rated fic later, but I MIGHT let it stay T and do a 'fade to black' thing. It just all depends on what's up and how it goes, whether it's tasteful or not.

Reviews are appreciated! I'll take ideas, too!


	2. That Confounding Smirk

It was that confounding smirk.

The illogically charming Captain had this way or smirking that absolutely drove Spock to the point of breaking. Just a small little twitch, a slight upturn at the corner of his lips was enough to make the half-Vulcan want to forget every bit of philosophy he'd ever learned and strangle the arrogant man again.

Of course, that would be illogical.

The two had settled into an agreeable working relationship, not long after the permanent appointment of James Tiberius Kirk's Captaincy on the _Enterprise_. But, still, sometimes Jim Kirk drove the usually stoic Vulcan to the point of twitching in annoyance, which was the equivalent of a normal human full-out punching him in his face.

Jim Kirk had an exceptional way of making the emotionless Vulcan extremely emotional. And emotionally unstable, at that. That smirk was either horribly aggravating or dumbfoundingly charming, all depending on the context in which it was presented. But Vulcans were immune to 'charm'.

They were supposed to be immune to aggravation, though, too.

He was only half-Vulcan, after all.

Spock had spent many a night meditating, trying to force the thought consuming pictures and burning annoyance from his mind after a particularly trying day on the bridge.

A/N: Another shortie. Maybe we're seeing a theme? Haha. I've only got a few more body parts to go through before we get to the story line. ^_^ Help is always appreciated! As well as someone telling me "Hey, I'm reading this!" Y'know. It gives me inspiration.


	3. That Perfect Hair

It was that perfect hair of his.

It was annoyingly perfect, to put it lightly. It was like a sleek black helmet atop his head. When Spock looked down, head bent to peer at the console before him, it fell forward in a curtain that didn't quite manage to cover his eyes. But even the way it swept across his face was perfect and fluidly smooth, like every other movement he made.

As Jim sat in his chair, pretending to watch the screen, but actually glancing at Spock out of the corner of his eye, he watched the way his hair shined in the artificial light of the ship.

It was absolutely _fascinating_.

He chuckled quietly to himself at the cheesy joke at his First Officer's expense. The chuckle attracted no attention aside from any of the other bridge crew, aside from the half-Vulcan occupying the Captain's thoughts. He looked up from the console before him right eyebrow, of course, hiking up on his forehead. Jim's only response was a sheepish smirk to cover the slight blush that tinged his cheeks at being caught in his staring.

Spock continued his piercing gaze act for a few more seconds before returning his gaze to the console, which allowed Jim once last, quick glance. And, to his surprise, as he looked for the last time, he saw just a piece out of place, swept to the side, away from the conformist path set out by the other strands. The single rebellious hair gave Jim a sort of smug satisfaction, setting another smirk on his face.

It seemed that even perfect Vulcans had faults.

A/N: Yay! First night up, and I already have two reviewers!! That makes me feel good! We're starting to develop into a bit more of a plot line, here. Though, it's gonna stay in this "It was that/those...." format for two or three chapters.

Maeke: yay! Thanks! I love little descriptive stuff like that, too! That's what inspired me to write. 3 -huggles- Thanks for reading!

MirrorFlower and DarkWind: I shall continue! THANKS FOR READING! Lol ^_^


	4. Those Delicate Hands

It was simply those delicate hands.

They were frightening and intriguing at the same time. They flew silently and surely over the console before him, hitting buttons in rapid succession to input the required information, never wavering, never even pausing. His fingers were long and slender, a dreamy white to match the rest of his skin, with just the slightest ghosting of a green hint, in the right light, caused by the blood that pumped below the surface.

They were so delicate and graceful. Jim couldn't help but imagine Spock playing a piano. He'd taken lessons, for a very short period, during his childhood. It was an very unsuccessful venture. Jim's own fingers were knobby and calloused from riding his motorcycle and all the outdoor activities he'd taken part in as a child. His own fingers were nothing like the long, graceful digits belonging to the master pianists he saw pictures of. Spock's fingers, however, were _exactly_ like that.

Jim found himself obsessing over those fingers, about how beautiful they were, on the surface. But he also knew that, below that beauty, there was danger. He still remembered the feeling of those very same fingers he was holding up in reverie wrapped around his throat, threatening to squeeze the life from him, quite literally. It made him shiver in his chair, hopefully not noticeably.

Then a thought occurred to him.

It may have been a little odd for him to ponder on Spock's hands, to compare them to a pianists. But it was _definitely_ more than a little weird for him to think that they were _beautiful_. And he'd actually that.

Well.

Jim furrowed his eyebrows and pushed those thoughts away. He put it all up to the fact that Alpha shift was running an extra hour that day, and it was late enough for him to be tired, and just uneventful enough to him to realize he was tired.

So, fifteen minutes later, Beta shift began and the various crewmen came to relieve all the primary bridge crew of their posts, he nodded, saying, "You have the conn, Mister Johnston," handing the control of the bridge over to the tall man beside him. When he did this, since all those thoughts earlier were just because of his exhaustion, Jim told himself that he didn't mind it that, when Spock nodded to the blue sweatered Science Officer taking over his post for him, Uhura was quick to follow the half-Vulcan from the bridge, into the turbolift.

He didn't mind at all. After all, it wasn't as if they were even really real friends, right?

* * *

A/N:

September's Nobara: Yay! I'm glad you like it! There's a few little polt-y kind of things that you'll need to watch the movie to get, in future chapters, but up to this chapter, it can really be applied to TOS or Reboot. Though, I did write it more specifically for the Quinto and Pine versions of Kirk and Spock rather than the Shatner and Nimoy. Because, even thought they are, in essence, the same characters, there are subtle differences, as there are when any actor reinvents a role. Especially ones so obsessed over as Spock and Kirk.

Bookgirlx3: lol, thanks! I'm glad you like it! This is exactly how I pictured them, too. I think that some people get too excited about them and kind of rush into it (though most stories I've read have done a good job of keeping them canon and believable) I'm going to try and keep things at a believable pace with them.

MirrorFlower and Darkwind: lol, thanks. I've always wanted to see Spock with mussed hair. And, yeah.... These are SUPER short chapters, that's why I'm getting, like three (maybe four, if I actually get this one posted tonight) done all at once. I got a sudden stroke of inspiration, randomly. Once Iget into longer chapters, I'm fairly certain that the updates will be spread out over at least a week or two. _ mainly because I have no idea what to do with it, exactly, when they start really getting' into it.

Greensparklygoggles: ^_^ Thanks a bunch! I'm glad you like! I need fluff far more than I should admit to, as well. This chapter was extra fluff-packed. And I think that now we shall get into a plot with an actual story line and stuff, aside from them just looking over at eachother on the bridge like they have been for, like, 4 chapters now. lol

Make sure you guys tell me if there's an aspect you don't like, or if anything seems uncanon and I'll see what I can do! Oh, and go read Maeke's story "Where Were You When The Lights Went Out?" it's short and cute and one of my favourites! 3 Props, diggity-dawg! _


	5. A Startling Turn Of Events

Jim found himself noticing so many little things about Spock, after that day on the bridge when he'd caught himself just blatantly staring at the Science Officer. He noticed the way Spock stood rigidly nearly all the time, hands clasped neatly at the small of his back. He was only relaxed when he was being left totally alone, standing at his station, reading reports. And even then it was a sort of tense relaxed, even though he hadn't known such a thing to exist before he'd started watching Spock. When someone came near the half-Vulcan, Jim included, he stiffened right back up again, becoming his usual, fully-alert self.

Along with those eyebrows that seemed to so frequently migrate north, the eyes below them were equally expressive, though in more subtle ways. Jim usually wasn't one for noticing the little things (_I'm a man, damnit, not an overemotional sap_, he thought, taking a page out of Bones' book) about people, but with someone as devoid of emotions as Spock, there were only little things to notice.

Being able to 'read' people was something that Jim depended on a lot more than he probably should. About half the time, he completely disregarded whatever vibes someone gave off, which was typically the cause of his various fist fights back in Iowa. When it came down to it and he was being serious, he based his actions off of how he predicted someone would react. He could read people's little ticks and twitches, nearly all the time, but Spock had virtually none of those, or they were, at least, hidden away enough that he couldn't find them just yet. So the only thing he could read was the other man's dark brown eyes.

He saw various flashes in them—amusement when Jim did something foolish, annoyance when he... well, when he did something foolish. There were other things, too, things that he couldn't quite place. But, now....

Now it was horrible. All he could see in his First Officer's was hurt and regret. However 'emotionless' Vulcans apparently were, that was not the case now, even though, as he walked towards the Captain's chair on the bridge, he was sure that Spock would never own up to it.

He caught himself right as he stopped to stare at the Vulcan, the gesture basically amounting to a double take. He wondered why it seemed that no one else had noticed. Even though the Vulcan wasn't crying and didn't have a grimace on his face or anything, it was still painfully obvious to Jim that he was upset. He glanced around the bridge, noting that Spock bent his head back over his console without even a polite word of greeting as the Captain entered.

He glanced around again, unbelieving that no one had picked up on Spock's state. Then he figured out why. Uhura was sitting at her station, ear piece in, grinding her teeth together, practically screaming 'I AM PISSED OFF'. The occasional glances she sent in Spock's direction gave Jim a whole new idea of 'if looks could kill'. Even if the looks weren't directed at him, he couldn't help the chill they sent racing up his spine. Uhura's displacement was so much more obvious than Spock's that, even if someone was astute enough to notice him, they were overpowered with noticing her.

It was an uncomfortable few hours they had ahead of them, Jim predicted. His predictions served to be true until about 3 hours into Alpha Shift when things took a drastic change for the worse from 'uncomfortable' to 'Oh, shit....'.

----

A/N:

MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Hah, yes, the piano thing.... I've always had this thing about Spock's hands, that he would so totally _rock_ at the piano. So, I'm making Jim think the same thing =] lol.

Another short chapter, but it's a little longer! I'm a wimp-o so I might never get super-duper long chapters. Even though I kindda like reading long chapters, I guess that's just now how I write. So, again, comments and feedback are always welcome. Even if you think it sucks, I'm up for hearing why you don't like it. And about the piano thing. What do you guys think? Should I maybe, in the distant future, get Spock to play the piano?


	6. Not Even A Mother

A/N: Just a little heads up, I drop some language in this chapter. Nothing super duper extreme. No f-bombs, just yet, but there's some cussing. Otherwise, enjoy.

----

It started with an incoming signal. Uhura, who'd been casting the occasional death glare over her shoulder at Spock, put her hand to her ear and listened intently for a moment.

"Captain," she addressed curtly.

Jim would have rather stuck his head in the mouth of a sehlat that talk to her at that particular moment, but it was his job as captain. "Yes, Lieutenant?"

"We are receiving a signal that a nearby planet is about to implode. Evacuations have already been made, but the planet's leaders thought it would be wise to send us a warning," she said, never letting her gaze wander from Jim as she spoke.

It was barely noticeable, but Spock flinched. He actually twitched, as if someone had raised their hand to slap him. Jim noticed, his gaze flicking quickly to the half-Vulcan as he kept his head bent over the console before him.

"Acknowledged. Send a word of thanks to the leaders," he ordered her, then turned to Sulu, "Make sure to set a path steering plenty clear of this planet."

The helmsman nodded and began to set about his work, Chekov leaning over his shoulder to point out the coordinates of said planet.

"Captain," Uhura spoke up again, a few minutes later, after sending the requested transmission.

Something in her tone of voice gave Jim the heebie-jeebies, but it simply wasn't an option to childishly ignore her, like he wanted to. So he looked over at her again. "Yes?"

"Might I suggest that we plot a course towards the planet. It seems to be small enough that the Enterprise could easily resist any gravitational pull resulting from the event. And it would be a rare and unique scientific opportunity to observe the death of a planet," he said, her gaze, this time, pointedly turning to Spock as she added, "as the head of the Science Department, I'm sure Commander Spock would agree it is quite the opportunity."

All eyes turned to Spock as he was expected to reply. The slightly bitter undertone in Uhura's voice had not been missed by the rest of the bridge crew. Sulu seemed to be the most perceptive of the others, and had his eyebrows raised in surprise that Uhura was trying to upset the half-Vulcan.

Before Spock could speak, Jim cut in, in a serious no-nonsense tone, and said, "No, Lieutenant Uhura, There are certain personal reasons that we will not be observing this anomoly." The order was curt and meant to be final, but Uhura badgered on anyway.

"Why, Captain? It's not as if anyone has any sort of emotional attachment or anyth--" she was cut off, suddenly, as Spock spoke for the first time since Alpha Shift had begun.

"Lieutenant Uhura," he said. There was just the very slightest sharpness to his voice. "Simply because you and I are not on agreeable terms in our personal relationship does not give you the right to launch emotional attacks on me whilst on duty."

"Oh," she said, snapping at him, "so you do have emotions, then? You're upset? You're bothered?"

Spock remained silent for a long moment. The argument had seemed to gain the entire bridge crew's full attention by that point. It was unheard of, after all, for two of the highest positioned officers to snap at each other, especially while on duty, especially so openly, especially when one of them was a _Vulcan_.

There was a long, stretched out moment of silent tension before Spock turned to Jim. "I respectfully request permission to leave the bridge for the remaining duration of Alpha Shift. I will make up the missed duty during Beta or Gamma Shifts, as you order, Captain," he requested in the most professional voice imaginable. It was as if he was asking some super-duper high up just to go on a break, not asking the guy one rank ahead of him to leave before he slapped a bitch, like Jim would probably be phrasing it.

Jim looked at him incredulously for a second, then at Uhura, who was still glaring, and looked about to claw him with her wickedly scary nails, then back to the half-Vulcan man in front of him. "Uh... request denied," he said, before he really thought about what he was saying. There was just a momentary faltering in Spock's features after his request was shot down, then he pulled the mask back on and clenched his jaw slightly.

"Understood, Captain."

Without missing a beat, and before he ended up looking like a total jerk, Jim stood and started to address Uhura. But, it was his turn to be interrupted, and Uhura's turn to interrupt someone.

"You absolutely--" then there was a string of words that seemed to each come from a different language, which he had no idea of, but he was sure Spock understood fully, "--fool of a Vulcan!!! What are you? Get pissed off! Yell, scream, something! Cry, for God's sake!! Are you a robot!?! Don't you feel at all?! Do _something_!! Anything!! Anything besides just stand there and use your damned logic, you bastard!" The woman was on the point of hysterics by the time Jim stepped in front of her and she stopped abruptly at the sudden invasion of personal space.

She was suddenly sobered out of her rage into full understanding of the major trouble she'd just gotten herself into. She had known James Kirk for long enough to realize that most of the time, even when he should probably be pretty damn serious, he was happy and care-free acting. His icy blue eyes usual sparkled with mischief and lightheartedness. Even when they'd been facing Nero, they had only been clouded with seriousness and careful calculation. But now he was angry. For the years that she'd known him, even if she'd never known him more than the annoying guy who flirted with her, and now as her ridiculously stupid Captain, she'd never known him to get mad.

And now he was mad. He was _very_ mad.

"Lieutenant Uhura," he said shortly, his voice carrying an icy tone that she'd never imagined from him. From the startled reactions the rest of the bridge gave, it seemed that none of them had expected it from him, either. "Until further notice you are relieved of duty and confined to your quarters. I will come there to tell you what your official punishment and charges are when I decide them. Effective _immediately_," he snapped to her and pointed to the turbolift, effectively grounding her and sending her to her room.

She gave him a defiant glare for just a moment, but then realized there was no way she could win, and stood to go. She looked like she was tearing up as she pressed the button for the turbolift and glanced over her shoulder, at Spock and left her last, and possibly most biting comment.

"I don't know how anyone could love someone like you. Not even a mother."

And then she was gone.

----

A/N:

Cat and MikoGoddess: Ah, yes. I have not actually seen this TOS episode where he plays the piano, but I do know of it. That's why I've always pictured him playing it, but never actually seen it xD lol But, I also find NuSpock's hands to be quite fascinating and I picture Zachary Quinto playing the piano. I wonder if he ever plays piano in any other show/movie.... Hm... I'll have to look that up, now. But, yeah, the whole piano thing in TOS is actually what changed the off-handed thought of 'Spock would be a good pianist...' to 'Ohemgee, I really _really_ wanna see Spock playing the piano!!' Haha. What episode is it, do you remember?

.if i were real: lol. I promise I won't keep you waiting too long for updates!

juniper: Thanks so much! That's a big compliment!

veglma: Haha. Aye, thar be.

calipalace: Thanks a bunch! I thought about this writing format a while ago, and I've been dying to try it out, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. I will!

MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Lol. Reboot Uhura is kindda catty, which goes along quite nicely with the plot. TOS Uhura is so different.

I know in this chapter I've just made her seem like a heartless bitch, but for any Uhura fans out there, it'll get better. I'm not just gonna make her a purely antagonistic character, but she seems that way at the moment, so don't worry. XD They've kept most of the characters at least reletively similar except for her! Even though Chekov lost, like, over a dozen years in age, he's still at least got the accent and "Mother Russia! Whoot!" thing going on. Lol. Accent consistency is the same for Scotty, though he actually has a personality now, which I like. Bones has got to be the most spot on, though, am I right? The new actor (can't remember his name, for the love of _Spock_.... lol) even kindda looks like the TOS guy (Can't remember his name either, gosh darnit!).


	7. A Walk With Mister Spock

The bridge was left in complete and utter silence as the turbolift descended, away from the now stale fight.

Jim stood, a little shocked at Uhura's last comment. Even enraged to the point of yelling and screaming at someone, he'd never imagined her to be quite _that_ heartless. Spock must have done something really bad to get that from her. But still.... even if he'd dumped her flat on her face with no explanation, no one deserved something like that.

Especially not someone whose mother had just _died,_ for godsake.

Jim stormed over to the chair, pressing a button and snarling into the microphone, "Computer, when Lieutenant Uhura enters her quarters, put them on lock down, with only Captain's and CMO's override codes effective."

There was a slight whistling and a computer generated voice responded, "Affirmative, Captain."

He then looked around at the rest of the crew, who varied between staring at him and staring at Spock. Spock, however, was still staring at the turbolift doors. His cheeks and the tips of his ears seemed tinged green and, for a moment, Jim wildly thought that the half-Vulcan was going to be sick, before he remembered one of Bones' many rants about 'green-blooded hobgoblins' and realized that he was blushing. Whether it was embarrassment, or anger, or some other non-emotion that was logically called for, by Vulcan standards, he knew that Spock blushing was the basic equivalent of an emotional human sobbing and blubbering loudly.

"Mister Spock," he said, his voice having a soft edge to it, almost like a question, "I'd like to take a walk with you, if that's alright." It was an offer more than an order, but he knew that, since it came in the guise of an order from a commanding officer, Spock wouldn't deny it, whether he wanted to or not.

The man simply nodded, brown eyes shifting to look at Jim.

"Sulu, you have the conn.," Jim said as he pressed the button for the turbolift to return to them.

The two men stepped into the turbolift and the doors slid closed just as Sulu responded with an 'aye, sir,' and the bridge snapped back into life, out of their reverie. The ride down was long and tensely silent, Spock refusing to do anything but stand ramrod straight with his hand behind his back, fisted together until his knuckles were white, and stare straight ahead.

Jim sighed. He sucked at delicate emotional situations, even more so when he had to tentatively prod for information. He was the kind of person that either pried shamelessly for information or left well enough alone. This frustrating halfway in between thing was impossible, especially when he had no place to start off of.

They hit the lower levels and the doors opened up to the storage bay, where Jim knew that they would have privacy to talk without returning to either of their quarters, which seemed out of place, somehow.

Their footsteps echoed in the large rooms with industrial sized shelves and palettes of supplies, giant boxes filled with all sorts of gizmos and gadgets. He wasn't even sure what was in ¾ of them, honestly. It was silent for a long while, until they were deep in the aisles. He was sure that Spock was used to silence, but Jim could feel the tension pressing down on his unsure shoulders until he was about ready to bust. For a wild moment he regretted initiating this un-conversation, but then realized that it was important. It was sort of an unofficial responsibility, as Captain, to resolve any major personal issues going on with his crew, especially when it involved the big dogs. Even more especially when it was _between_ two of the big dogs, like his second in command and his head of communications.

"So," he prompted, pausing with hopes that Spock would suddenly give up his stoic facade (at least, Jim thought that facade was the right word to use there...) and spill his guts. When those hopes proved to be in vain, he continued on. "There's obviously a problem. I'm guessing that you broke up?"

"Obviously," Spock said, in a tone that might have been considered rudely blunt if it hadn't been Spock, who was ever blunt, speaking.

"Well, do you mind telling me precisely what prompted Uhura's little outburst on the bridge?" he said, then faltered at the withering look that he was sent and held up his hands defensively, "Don't get me wrong, I get that she was completely in the wrong there, and you handled the situation better than anyone else would've. But, I mean, Uhura can... well, she can be vicious, to say the least. But usually only when it's called for. I've never seen her that pissed off, and I've known here for a little bit longer than you have." Given, that was only a few days, in all honesty, but he had the advantage of having a somewhat personal frienemy-ship with her from the get-go. He was sure that Spock, on the other hand, had been nothing more than the prime example of what a Starfleet teacher should be, until they were crew mates, aboard the Enterprise.

The bristle softened a little bit in Spock's shoulders when Jim elaborated that he hadn't been accusing Spock of anything, and the man took that as a sign that it was safe to drop his hands back to his sides as their little walk tapered off into one last absentminded step and they came to a full halt in one of the various monstrous aisles. (Really, it was bugging him now that he had absolutely _no idea_ what was in these things. He'd have to explore sometime, later)

The half-Vulcan looked twenty times squirmier than Jim had ever seen—ever _imagined_ seeing him—in the few months that they had been working together, now. He had thought, idly, in the past that seeing Spock squirm uncomfortably would be amusing, but now he wasn't so sure about that. I just made his stomach to a sympathetic back flip.

Spock opened his mouth to speak, the look on his face still very subtly unsure, but Jim interrupted with a soft, "Hey," causing the taller man to look up from where his eyes had been transfixed on the floor, "you don't actually _have_ to tell me anything. I'm not gonna send down an executive order or anything, Spock. I just feel like I should help. I don't claim to be the best at emotions and stuff, but maybe I'm just a little more experienced than you. And I don't figure you're the type to exactly go out asking advice or anything, am I right?" he asked, tacking a small smile onto the end, with a small woof of a laugh to try and lighten the mood.

Spock clenched his jaw, thinking, processing for a moment, before he nodded. "I know, Captain, that you would not force me to give you personal information, unless it was of the utmost importance. I am not adverse to confiding in you, however," he said.

Jim restrained himself from beaming, figuring that it would be inappropriate, given the current situation. But, he was sure that that was probably the closest to 'Hey, Jim, you're kindda my buddy, and I don't hate every fiber of your being. And I don't try to use my voodoo mind power to make your head explode every time I look at you' he was going to get from Spock, at least at this point in their non-friendship. "Okay, then, carry on," he said, instead of smiling like an idiot.

"We did.... terminate our romantic relationship, last night," he said, obviously struggling to grasp the proper words in the uncomfortably expansive show of emotional involvement.

"Who was it that did the terminating?" Jim prompted.

Spock paused. "I did," he admitted after a moment and, again, looked reluctant to carry on, so Jim gently nudged again.

"Why?"

"I... I realized, as things returned to a relatively calm and normal schedule, that it was not.... a good idea," he finished lamely, looking a little unsettled by his sudden inability to express his thoughts.

"Why?" Jim repeated.

"I believe that Nyo-Lieutenant Uhura was far more invested in the relationship than I was. I never truly wished for it to begin. Though, when she expressed interest, I was... I found it agreeable. But I was unstable through the entire short course of our relationship. I wished for nothing less than to insult her or hurt her, in any way possible, but it seems that that is precisely what I have done."

Jim nodded. "Sometimes that's hard to prevent. So, she's mainly just pissed about the fact that you broke up with her, then? There's not.... something else that happened, or anything?" Spock looked at him as if unsure what he was asking and, in all honesty, Jim wasn't exactly sure, himself, what he was getting at. But, Spock answered anyway.

"I believe that I may have inadvertently insulted her, somehow, by the extremity of her anger, but I am unsure of in what manner. I would never insult her intentionally. I am still.... fond of her, Captain," he said, as if it was some dirty secret to admit he could actually _like_ someone. And, Jim supposed, that the way he was raised, it sort of was. He felt sorry for the guy.

Jim nodded in understanding. "But you don't _love_ her, which is what she wanted. What she expected," Jim offered.

Spock nodded slowly. "I am glad that you understand, Captain."

Jim nodded in return as he turned back towards the doorway. "I'm gonna to go talk to her now," he said, with another nod from Spock as response as the half-Vulcan stood, apparently content to stay in the storage bay for the time being and be alone for a while. Then Jim paused, a few steps away from Spock, his back to his First Officer. "And, Spock? I hope you know she was wrong. Whether she meant it or not, which I'm sure she didn't, she was wrong."

Then he walked away, leaving Spock to his thoughts, whatever those may have been.

----

A/N:

Cat: Ah, I'm sorry! I promise, she'll get better. I see what you're saying with the fact that Uhura is smart enough to keep a straight head on her shoulders, even when she's pissed off. But I think that, given the precise situation, which will be revealed soon, she lost a little bit of her perspective and just wanted to hurt him. And my as-close-to-canon-as-I-can-manage version of Reboot Uhura doesn't like being told what to do in any sort of personal affair, whether it's intertwined with business or not. I think that Spock telling her she had no right it what kind of sent her over the edge into full-out rant mode. And, ugh! There shall be no Uhura x Bones in this fic! I see where people come from on that, but the pairing just totally skeeves me. But, don't worry, I'll fix her. You'll see. **-**winkwink- lol

LostSchizophrenic: I swear I knew the names, I swear! Lol, thanks. I'm just super bad at remembering names of actors, unless I'm a huge fan. I'll definitely remember Deforest Kelly and Karl Urban, now, though. And, yes, I agree that maybe the last comment, at least, was a little uncalled for, but I needed that specific line put in there. It's a gateway for later stuff that I've got halfway planned out.

Fate and Destiny: Totally. They so belong together. They're the grand-daddies of slash, afterall!!

Osa: Ah! Thank you! That's next on my list of TOS episodes to watch.

Pheonixfire979: Thanks! I hope it didn't disappoint!

MirrorFlower and DarkWind: lol. TOS Uhura is definitely nicer, but you gotta admit that Reboot Uhura is definitely more interesting.

Keitsu Han'ei: Exactly what I was thinking! Lol

Bookgirlx3: Ah! I have this habit of not proof-reading my stuff before I post it, so pointing out any typos and whatever like that is definitely appreciated! Thanks. I'll go and correct that (probably before I get this chapter up, actually. I write my responses to reviews before I actually type the chapter up). And, yeah, like I've said, I know it was a little over the line, but her motivations will be explained later. And I will have Spock play piano, a little later on. Once the drama dies down a little bit, though. Promise. Lol

Veglma: Lol. It will be quite interesting, to say the least. But, I'm afraid there's gonna be one more chapter between this one and that one. But, I'm sure you'll like the next chapter. -wink-

LunarEclipse: Ah, sorry it took me so long! It's been over a week, and I'd planned on getting to this way sooner. But, I have a good excuse. I had Swine Flu. For serious, man. It was rough.

MikoGoddess: Thanks for the support and feedback! And the info! Yeah, old Scotty never really used to even register on my radar, but Reboot Scotty gives me a love for both of them. Oh, lord, the sandwhiches. xD lol

Maeke: Ahahaha, it kindd made me awwww/squeal when I reread it, too. Sometimes stuff doesn't quite regeister with my inner fangirl when I'm writing it. Lol. But, thanks for the props, and you definitely deserved yours!! And, don't worry. Next chapter is Spock's POV, so I hope you'll be happy!

MeEksiNs: I know, dude. Totally over the top, but justified in her mind. At least, it was at the moment. She'll get hers. Lol.


	8. Afterthoughts

Spock stood very still as Jim walked away, listening to his sure, even footfalls as he retreated, back towards the main part of the ship. He heard them pause, just momentarily, at the opposite end of the aisle and Spock could very clearly picture the Captain glancing back over his shoulder at Spock's unmoving form with a concerned look on his expressive face. Then he was gone, and Spock was left alone to his own devices once again.

When he felt the other man's presence completely disappear from the large storage room, he finally let his guard down a little bit. His resolve to remain stoic, as he always did when presented with any sort of situation demanding an emotional response from him, ebbed away a little bit. He stood, hands limp at his sides as opposed to their usual place tucked neatly into the small of his back. His mind was racing over the events of the past several minutes with an almost panicky contemplation.

That day he'd felt the tension and the hatred and the hurt rolling off of Uhura almost like a physical presence that hit him like a wall when he stepped onto the bridge. It had been, by far, the most uncomfortable he'd been since actually taking up the permanent position as First Officer on the Enterprise. He'd, initially, had the irrational desire to run away and hide, to put remove himself from the path of Uhura's emotional fury.

But, then James Kirk had entered the bridge and he had, somehow, felt that jittery compulsion subside into a small unsettled feeling. James Kirk had the unfathomable ability to easily and fully bring out the worst in Spock, every weakness borne from his human half. But he also, it seemed, had the ability to bottleneck that weakness, if it was already present. Logically, Spock knew that this should have been an unsettling turn of events, but he could not bring himself, for some reason, to be angry or disturbed that James Kirk had this power over him. It was an odd tangent of thought that he did not care to dwell on for very long.

When the Captain had denied his request to leave the bridge, Spock could still feel that twisting that he'd felt in his gut, causing the momentary pause before his reply. In that moment, his mind had been racing and he had jumped to several conclusions all at once, something very out of character for a logical, carefully considerate Vulcan.

His immediate thoughts had been that the Captain was siding with Uhura, punishing Spock and not willing to listen to his side of the story. Even though Spock had never planned on giving 'his side of the story' just in removing himself from the more acute aspects of the situation, such as interaction on the bridge that day. When Kirk had said 'no' to him, Spock had felt a small sinking in his chest and been unsure of how, precisely he was supposed to proceed.

He'd remained hopelessly clueless the entire time he'd been yelled at. He felt anger flash through him, like a blinding light from a fire, burning through his veins. Nyota was very wrong when she said he did not feel emotions. He felt them, to a degree that she could not even possibly fathom. But his emotions were dangerous! He had to restrain them!

Spock stopped his thoughts, realizing that his fists were clenched tightly at his side and his heart rate had jumped up. He could feel the anger threatening to return, now just a small buzzing at the base of his skull, much like an oncoming headache. He forced himself to take a moment and take a few calming breaths as he regained all of his composure.

James Kirk was a baffling man, to say the least. Spock was unsure of how to begin to judge his character. But, one thing was certain, now—Spock was undeniably opening up to Kirk, in some odd sort of way.

If it had been anyone else in the entire universe that had walked with him down to the cargo bay and asked him to talk about what had been going on, he would have politely declined and gently suggested that they not concern themselves in his personal affairs. But, as had been displayed on several occasions before, James Kirk had an odd way of dragging Spock's emotions out into the harsh daylight, kicking and screaming, in a sense. Their little 'talk' had been the most Spock had ever willingly revealed about what was going on in his head.

He had been apprehensive the entire time, nervous and almost twitchy. He mentally scolded himself for such actions, which displayed a great deal of weakness. But, now, as he thought back on the conversation he had held, he found a serene sense of clam in knowing that there was someone who was defending him, someone who backed him up.

That person being the Captain was only all the more comforting, for some reason. These thoughts about James Kirk swirled around inside his head in a manner that maybe wasn't unpleasant, but was certainly unsettling. He wasn't quite sure what to make of Star Fleet's youngest captain ever. It was all very confusing, and something that Spock decided he would need to meditate upon, once he had the time to.

But that time was not now. Both the Captain and First Officer were absent from the bridge during Alpha Shift, and Spock found that it would be prudent to return as soon as possible.

* * *

MirrorFlower and DarkWind: lol. Sorry it took me over a week to get to this. And, honestly, I don't think it's that good _ But I hope you guys like it.

LostSchizophrenic: Thanks! And, yeah, I'm totally never going to forget hteir names now, with everyone that told me. Lol

bulletproofweeks: Wow! Thanks a bunch! I'm glad you're reading!

Umino Akiko: Lol. Jim's kindda my buddy, too. And, of course Scotty's gonna show up! Everyone will be in here, and have their own role. I'll be sure to get more than, like one-liners minor parts for Bones, Sulu, Chekov, Uhura, and Scotty! Scotty is totally one of my favourites. He's so funny! Maybe I'll even get some Winona, Sam, Christopher Pike, and Sarek going on in here, too. I'm still not sure exactly where this story is going, but it's gonna involve almost everybody, I hope.

MikoGoddess: lol, yeah, Jim's awkwardness totally makes me giggle, too. This chapter's kindda short, too, sorry! XD I try to make them long, but I dunno. I promise I'll have some longer ones coming up. Fo' sho'.

Veglma: lol, I laughed so hard when I wrote that part. I was quite proud of my clever wit. XD teehee.

Mary: Thanks a bunch!

Knp10: lol. Of course. He's pissed off, and he'll lay into her plenty. And I'm glad to hear I've produced an addict. lol

Mildetryth: Thankkies ^_^

Shatterwing: Yeah! That's what I was getting at. She's definitely career-minded to a certain point, but I think she's one of those that will hit a certain point and just be like 'Screw this, I'm gonna have a bitch-fit!'

Felicity Greyson: Yuppers! He's for sure gonna dawdle with it in a future chapter. How _far_ into the future, I'm not sure, but it'll be there.

Protector of Canon2: Hhhmmmm, I'll think about it. I'm not too sure if I'm really all for that, but I'll consider it. I mean she's definitely going with someone, eventually. I dunno if it'll be an OC or not, though.

Tubular Fox: Thanks so much! It's great to have someone that I'm a fan of say they like my work! (btw, guys, go look at Tube's K/S fic, if you want some more Spirk-y goodness. It's awesome!) Lol, Jim _will_ love him forever.


	9. Torn To Shreds Or Something Like That

Jim managed to somehow work himself up into a heated anger again by the time he had reached Uhura's quarters. Because, seriously, how _dare_ she? For real, who the hell bitched out a guy who had just lost almost every single person her ever knew? It was like not just your house, but your entire home_town_ burning down, except times a billion and even more than that.

His planet _blew up_.

If he didn't exactly feel up to being romantically involved after something like that, who the fuck could blame the poor guy? Maybe Uhura had a right to be upset after being broke up with, but come _on_. Cut the emotionally stunted guy a break.

He stood outside her door for a moment, trying to calm himself down from his angry tizzy (though he would never use such a girly word as 'tizzy' when describing himself). After a few elongated seconds, he entered his override code to the lock on her door and stepped in without even a door chime as a warning prelude. If she could be so cold, she didn't deserve the courtesy of politeness.

His anger dwindle away a little bit immediately when he entered and paused, mid-step, just inside the door as it swooshed closed softly behind him. Nyota was sitting on her bed silently with a pillow pulled into her lap. It looked like she'd been hugging it against her chest and burying her face in it, judging by the wet spots on the pillowcase. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, like she'd been crying the whole time since he'd dismissed her from the bridge. Two dark streaks stained her already light brown cheeks even darker with washed away makeup.

She looked up at him and sniffled, looking back down ashamedly. She shook her head and spoke before he could. "I'm sorry. I'll accept whatever punishment you give, Captain," she said softly, her voice a little strained, like she was on the verge of tears again.

Jim sighed. He couldn't do this. He'd come here planning to rip her a new one, and with how upset she was, even though, maybe, she still deserved it, he just didn't have the heart to tear her to pieces.

"Uhura..." he started, unsure of exactly what to say. His tone of voice, not angry but more exasperated, with patience worn thin, as if from trying to explain something complex to an uncomprehending child, caught her voice. He sighed again, then launched headfirst into his speech, without properly thinking it through first.

"I'm not mad at you. I'm not going to be a total dick and fire you or transfer you or anything, so don't worry about that. But, you are going to be officially reprimanded. And you deserve it. That being said..." he trailed off as his attitude deteriorated from 'Captain Kirk' to 'Jim' and he crossed his arms across chest, shifted his weight to rest completely on one foot, his hip cocked slightly, "Why the _hell_ would you do something like that? Besides the fact that it's the coldest thing I've ever seen you do, and I saw you throw some major bitch fits at the academy, I would've thought you'd be smart enough to keep personal matters personal!" He stopped then, a bit of that anger that he'd thought had diminished managing to slip it's way into his voice again. But only a little bit.

Uhura looked surprised and a little angry when Jim went on his little rant. Then she stopped herself, realizing that he was completely right, and choosing not to mention the use of the phrase 'bitch fit'. She swiped at her eyes. "I know. It was wrong," she said, a little stiffly. Never, in the years that he'd know Uhura, had she _ever_ openly admitted to being wrong. It sort of dumbfounded Jim at little bit. "I shouldn't have been so harsh or made a scene... and I definitely shouldn't have said anything about his mother or insulted him."

Jim nodded sternly, refusing to give in to his chivalrous side and make the pretty lady stop crying by saying everything was okay and all was forgiven. Everything was _not_ okay and all was _not_ forgiven. Not yet, at least. "What in the world happened, though? I know he broke up with you, but c'mon, I know you _have_ to have been dumped before, right?"

Uhura shrugged. "Of course I have. But never with someone that I... someone that I actually committed to."

"Committed?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. Surely they hadn't been, like, _engaged_ or anything..?

Uhura immediately picked up on what he was thinking and brushed the notion off with a quick shake of her head from side to side. "Nothing that serious. Just... Vulcans don't date casually. Getting involved with him to any degree at all was like saying 'I plan on spending the rest of my life with you, in light of all foreseeable events' if you put it in Vulcan lingo. And I felt like such a fool when we were talking last night and he obviously wanted to tell me something, but I went right on ahead and rambled about the next shore leave and taking him home to meet my parents."

That made a little more sense. The Enterprise was scheduled for a three week shore leave on Earth next week for updates and some well earned and much needed vacation time for the crew. In fact, they were headed back that way at that moment. "What'd he say about that?" Jim asked.

Uhura almost laughed. "He waited very patiently until I was done and just said. 'I do not believe that you will wish me to accompany you back to you home after our romantic involvements have been terminated, Nyota. I do not believe we are well suited for eachother.' It took me a minute to even understand what he was talking about and I got so pissed off that he could just say it so coldly,"

Jim had to admit, that if you took out of the equation that it was _Spock_ saying it, that was a pretty shitty way to get dumped.

Uhura continued, "And he left right after that, when I was still wrapping my brain around the fact that I'd just been dumped, and it felt like he was saying I wasn't good enough for him, even thought I know that's not what he meant. He just comes off as superior and arrogant if you forget that he's a Vulcan... and I didn't get to say anything to him before today. I was just so angry...and, God, Jim, does he hate me?" Her voice cracked again and she looked almost desperate.

Jim shook his head. "No, he doesn't hate you. But he seemed off set by it, which is Spock-speak for the fact that he's pretty damn upset about it. I think, besides a formal apology, you need to talk to him. As for your official reprimand, you're down to one week on shore leave instead of two and your on thin ice. Any little infraction anytime soon, and I'll have to send some official reports to the higher-ups."

She nodded in compliance. It wasn't as bad of a punishment as if could've been, by any means, and she willingly accepted it, knowing she full well deserved it.

Jim watched her carefully, giving her one last speculative look before turning and walking briskly out of the room. That hadn't gone precisely as planned, but he felt that the situation had been aptly dealt with, at least.

As Jim headed back to the bridge, he thought things over again. He sighed and shook his head. This was precisely why he never got involved in real relationships that lasted past casual hook-ups and a little friendliness whenever they saw each other—too much damn drama. If _Spock, _of all people, could get tangled up in the messy web of a nasty break up, then Jim shuddered to think of what would happen with him, should he ever get a serious girlfriend and then try to break it off with her. The only woman who'd ever been a constant in his life was his mother, and she supplied all the bad breakups Jim ever wanted to see, what with her endless string of boyfriends as he'd grown up in Iowa quite well, thank you very much.

He figured that the half-Vulcan would be back in his quarters, probably meditating or some other voodoo shit (that was the second time he'd thought of 'voodoo' applying to Spock. He'd have to be sure to mention it to Bones to add to his friend's endless artillery of semi-insulting phrases for Vulcans) to try and calm down about the fight. And Jim didn't really blame him, either. He was pretty sure that if he'd been on the receiving end of that yelling match, he'd probably be pretty damn upset about it, too.

On that note, Jim was immensely surprised when he stepped out of the turbo lift, ready to order someone to call an ensign to fill Uhura's and Spock's posts for them, and saw a familiar pointy-eared statue in its usual place at the Science Station. He paused, giving a soft 'Hmp' sound of surprise before picking his pace back up and sitting down in his chair.

He could sense the questioning tenseness all around him from other Bridge members. "Mister Sulu," he decided, trying to pick out a crew member to call another communications officer to fill in for Uhura for the rest of Alpha Shift, "Call Ensign Black to fill in for Lieutenant Uhura. Tell him it's just for today and that the extra effort would be much appreciated and duly noted in his performance evaluation."

Sulu nodded and set about paging the Ensign, Chekov reaching over to assist for a moment in locating the correct comm panel to route to his quarters. Jim glanced over at Spock, who seemed to be back to his normal, stoic, Vulcan self.

The Ensign, a young half-Orion man, arrived a few minutes later and the rest of Alpha Shift passed uneventfully. As they headed through a fairly boring, uninhabited sector of space on their way back home. When the shifted ended and their replacements came, Jim jumped in the turbo lift with Spock quickly before the doors closed. When the half-Vulcan arched an eyebrow at him, Jim merely shrugged and gave a sheepish smile. They exited the lift together, as well, heading to their rooms. The Captain's quarters and First Officer's, coincidentally (or not so, really), we located right next to each other.

As they turned the corner, Spock stopped short, tensing as he noticed Uhura standing silently beside his door, looking sullen but determined. Jim looked at her and she nodded. He nodded back and slapped Spock on the shoulder, making him tense even more and even bristle (almost like a cat, which was a little funny and more than a little inappropriate to be thinking right then).

"Good luck, Spock," he said before turning and going into his own quarters, hoping to whatever God or gods were out there that things would end at least civilly between the two of them.

Voila! I hope you enjoyed! Okay, so here's a question for all my readers who are super buffs on the Star Trek universe as a whole: What are some Orion names. I know about Gaila from the new movie, but I somehow feel that she's not your typical Orion. That's why I made Black a half-Orion (which... can that even be done...?). Because I didn't know what to name him to make him sound like a real Orion! Anyway... same thing goes for Andorians? What are some typical names? And any other race you guys feel like throwing in. I love tidbits of info! Thanks in advance!

Mary: Thanks a bunch! I try really hard to keep them canon!

MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Thanks for the encouragement! And, as always, I hope you enjoy!

Mandiranda: You'ret he secodn person to mention 'Home' After the first, I looked it up and now I understand why so many people love it. It's amazing! That's why my updates were a little slow—because I've been reading 'Home', too _ lol, I appreciate the effort of scrolling on your phone! X3 Glad you like!

Veglma: lol, those were two of my favourite lines in that chapter, too. I do particularly love that bit about kicking and screaming. I considered not adding it, because it might seem weird, but I'm glad I did. ^.^

knp10: I hope you're not too disappointed that he didn't totally chew her out. _

mildetryth: I think this chapter was my longest so far. I'm working on making them longer! Lol

abby: Thanks a bunch! I hope you keep reading!

Bulletproofweeks: Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long! Yeah, I'm bad about short chapters, and I tried to make this one a little longer! Lol

THISISSPARTAsodealwithit: Ah! Thanks for the info! **-**salutes- I'll be sure to keep that in mind.

Maeke: Thanks for the props! I'll be sure to try to include more Spock-centric chapters in the future!

Plasticblue: Thanks! I hope I didn't diappoint!

Lady Merlin: Wow! Thanks for the super in depth constructive criticism!! Do you think I did better with Jim in this chapter? Yeah, Uhura was supposed to be a little OoC, and she realizes it was pretty damn stupid to make such a scene. I hope she wasn't, like, too horribly painful to read, though. X3 I like big-boy Jim, too. Lol. I've come to find that sometimes the ones that are the solid rock most the time can be the most vulnerable on the inside and need the most protecting, like Spock. I hope I don't disappoint you and continue to keep you interested!!

Oh, and props to Lady Merlin on all of her Star Trek fics. She's got bunches going, and a lot of short little one shots that'll keep you occupied for a while, plus some others that are in the works and you can get addicted to! I love her stuff and I'm happy that now I've got TWO awesome reviewers who I'm also fans of! 3 you guys!!


	10. Gratitude, Chess, And An Invitation

Jim felt a little guilty about leaving Spock with Uhura, which was essentially throwing him to the wolves. Or... more like trusting the dogs not to turn into wolves while they were penned up with Spock.... or something like that. He was getting his metaphors confused. Whatever. But, anyway, he felt a little guilty—but only a little. It would be good for them, he decided, to talk. Even if they didn't get back together (which was something Jim highly doubted) and if not some weird form of friendship, they could at least patch up a manageable working relationship, at the very least.

Jim was kicked back on his bed, a datapad in hand, reading up on some Starfleet shit that he really didn't give a rat's ass about. He had changed out of his uniform, before settling onto his bed, into his favourite pair of jeans (who couldn't love a good pair or Levi's—the company was, like, a billion years old, they _had_ to be good) and a plain white t-shirt. He was a little surprised when, about an hour after he had left Spock and Uhura to their discussion, his door chimed, announcing someone's request for entrance much like a doorbell.

Curious at who it could possibly be, he stood and padded quietly on his black-socked feet to the door, pressing the button to open it. It slid away, revealing one tall, slim half-Vulcan standing in the corridor.

"Spock," Jim greeted curiously, his eyebrows raising slightly. He immediately tried to assess what was going on with his First Officer by reading into his minute facial expressions, but to no avail. The Vulcan seemed tightly wound and a little tense, which was to be expected no matter what the outcome of the talk had been, and, more frustratingly, carefully neutral. Jim mused, randomly, that Spock would absolutely _rock_ at poker with a face like that.

Spock paused, hesitating as if unsure of himself, then nodded in response. "Captain," he returned, his voice monotonous and as calmly soothing as ever. Jim couldn't detect any traces of being upset in there, at least.

Jim waved a hand dismissively at the official title. "It's 'Jim', Spock. Call me Jim. 'Captain' makes me feel like I'm still on duty," he said as he stepped aside, sweeping a hand in a welcoming gesture, inviting Spock into his quarters.

Spock did that weird hesitating thing again, before seeming to make a decision and gave a short, crisp nod and stepped inside. It seemed, to Jim, that the nod was more for the Vulcan's own benefit than to actually acknowledge Jim's invitation. Maybe he hadn't even realized he'd done it. It was a little almost endearing gesture that brought the half-Vulcan's vulnerability and insecurity into the lime light for Jim.

When he stepped inside, he just paused, a few yards into the room and sort of just looked around, like a little kid, waiting to be told what to do. It was a little sadly pathetic, really, and made Jim's brow knit together in patient sympathy.

_Socially awkward and emotionally stunted, remember..... _

"Sit down, Spock," he offered, gesturing to the chair at the small table he had tucked away in the corner of his room. It was usually empty, but at the moment the table held a fancy chess set. It was the real old-fashioned, nice, expensive kind that came in a wooden chest as opposed to a cardboard box, or as a hologram or a program on a PADD. The board was glass and the pieces were wooden, looked like they were even hand carved. They were still In excellent condition, but they appeared to be quite old, maybe even dating back a whole century.

The First Officer glanced at the table, eyes carefully rolling over each and every piece on the board before complying and taking one of the seats. "I was not aware that you played chess, Captain," he said, examining the black king that sat directly in front of him.

Jim shrugged, lowering himself into the seat across from Spock. "I don't, really. My mom sent it to me. You play?" he asked.

"Quite proficiently," Spock informed, nodding.

"Let's play, then," Jim declared, clapping his hands and rubbing them together as he moved one of his pawns in a basic opening move. He'd just read all the rules, earlier that day, so it was fresh in his mind what all the pieces actually did. He figured that if he hadn't been able to practice sometime in the near future, he'd probably forget what they all did. Why not get slaughtered by the master of logic in the meantime?

Spock nodded, watching Jim's move and, without a moment's hesitation, moving his knight to the front of his forces then retracting his hands to patiently await his next turn.

They continued on like that in silence for a dozen or so moves before Jim got too curious to contain himself. "So, Spock..." he started off, gaining a raised eyebrow from the man across the board from him, "I'm pretty sure you didn't come here on the off chance that I'd conveniently have a chess board laid out for us to play a match."

"You would be correct in that assumption, Captain."

Jim rolled his eyes. The damn green-blooded hobgoblin was being intentionally obtuse. "Jim, Spock, Jim," he corrected before pressing on, "So, what _did_ you come here for?"

Spock's hand paused over his pieces, as if second-guessing his next move, though Jim had the feeling that it has less to do with the game and more to do with the conversation. Spock moved his bishop pointedly setting it down. "Checkmate," he declared, causing Jim to be momentarily distracted as he made a surprised sound and looked down at the board to confirm that he was, in fact, very much defeated.

The Captain muttered something under his breath about just learning and a rematch as he set his pieces in the first two rows of squares again. The Vulcan did the same. "You never answered my question," Jim pointed out, this time opening with his knight, as Spock had done the previous game (more like slaughter, really).

"Indeed, I did not," Spock said, gaining himself a _look_ from Jim, and then continued on, "I came to..." There was short pause of something akin to embarrassment (but Vulcans didn't get embarrassed, you see, so it wasn't actually embarrassment) before Spock finished his sentence, "I came to convey my appreciation of the manner with which you handled the situation on the bridge during Alpha Shift."

Jim raised his eyebrows. "Really? I didn't really do anything special. In fact, honestly, I was probably just as unnerved by it as anyone else. Disputes amongst my commanding officers make me nervous." He shrugged.

"You went far beyond the calls of captaincy, however, in assisting us in resolving our personal matters. And... I will admit that you did far better at resolving said issues than I believe I would have been able to do on my own. Thank you," Spock insisted.

Jim just shrugged again. "Whatever you say.." he mumbled, staring at the board in concentration before carefully, warily, moving a piece forward, "so I take it that you guys are at least on speaking terms?"

Spock nodded, moving to knock over and claim the rook which Jim had just moved, causing the captain to sigh in annoyance, though it was directed more at himself than the Vulcan. "We have settled our dispute and are on agreeable terms once again," he confirmed.

Jim nodded, concentrating on the board. "That's good..." He mumbled, biting his thumbnail lightly, a habit he hardly noticed about himself (but Bones got onto him for it quite often 'Dammit, Jim, your hands are dirtier than a crooked politician's! Get them out of your mouth! What are you, a two year old!?' he would say). Spock, however, did not miss the small gesture, dark eyes examining Jim's behaviour as he formulated a strategy quite closely.

It took a few moments, almost a full minute, but Jim finally seemed to find a strategy which he found suitable and confidently moved a piece ahead. "So, what're you doing over your two weeks of leave, Spock?" he asked, stretching his arms up in the air and lacing his fingers together, cradling the back of his head lazily in them.

Spock took just a moment to move his piece before responding. "I believe that I will remain in San Francisco at the Academy. There are several projects which have interested me and I believe would benefit from my assistance." Spock remained watching the board, waiting for Jim's hand to slide into view and move another piece. When several long seconds passed and nothing happened, the half-Vulcan looked up at the other man curiously to find him gaping at him incredulously. Spock arched an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Let me get this straight," Jim started, bringing his elbows down to rest on the lip of the table, "you're getting two week's vacation and you're going to spend it _working_?"

"Yes," Spock said, gaining himself yet another _look_ from the captain, "Is there some problem with this?"

"Spock," Jim said, ever patiently, "vacations aren't meant to be spent working. They're... they're meant to be spent _vacationing_." Jim seemed to be very intent on getting his point across to Spock, who the notion of 'relaxation' seemed to be lost on.

Spock seemed, still, very unconcerned about this fact. "I have no need for such frivolities," he stated simply.

Jim was utterly horrified at the idea that Spock didn't even _want_ to go on vacation. It was a little sad, really. Because, honestly, when he stopped and thought about it, what would the guy even _do _on vacation? As far as Jim knew, Spock didn't exactly have a busy social schedule. He couldn't honestly think of one person who would have wanted to spend their free time with Spock. Well, besides himself. He'd begun to find the half-Vulcan's presence oddly calming, the few times they'd been in each other's company during off-time. He was the cool watery detachment to quench Jim's fiery passion that he seemed to hold for every aspect of life. They balanced out quite well and made a good team.

But, still, Jim just couldn't stand the thought of Spock spending their shore leave cooped up in some lab at the Academy with no friendly faces around. Before, Uhura had been planning on taking him to meet her parents, but he could only assume that plan was a bust, now. The poor guy was going to be alone for two whole weeks.

Jim sighed, staring hard at the Vulcan and seemed to get an idea. "So, my mom didn't just randomly send me a chess set. Wanna know why she sent it to me?"

Spock simply returned the gaze. "I have no preference whether you reveal to me your mother's motivations," he said evenly.

Jim rolled his eyes, touching the screen on his PADD a few times before handing it over to Spock. With a decidedly curious look on his face (decidedly Spock, but decidedly Spock-curious) the half-Vulcan took the datapad from Jim's grip.

There was an opened transmission on the PADD that read:

_Jimmy,_

_I hear that you've got a shore leave coming up soon. I want you to come see me. I know you want to relax, but at least drop by for a day or two, please!!_

_I've even got a real reason for you to come. About a year after I enlisted in Starfleet your grandfather sent me a chess set and told me to practice up, because he thought I was smart enough, now, that I would enjoy the game. I did, and he got me to come home during shore leave and play him. I want you to come and play me._

_I know you haven't had any practice, but try and find someone to play against. How about that Vulcan First Officer of your? Spock, wasn't it? He seems like the intellectual type._

_I'll expect to see you, play against you, and for you to tell me all kinds of stories soon! Maybe I'll even get to figure out if Mister Spock is a good teacher or not._

_Love,_

_Mom_

"So," Jim started, "since you've got nothing better to do--"

"Captain, may I remind you that there are several--"

"_Since you've got nothing better to do_," Jim interrupted, continuing on pointedly, giving Spock another look, "I think that you should come with me, maybe show my mom some of your chess skills." He nodded, as if to punctuate his sentence and crossed his arms loosely over his chest, grinning.

Spock raised an eyebrow at the invitation. "I would not begin to intrude upon your time spent with your mother," he said.

"Nonsense," Jim countered, grinning widely, "I insist. Think about it, at lest?" He then gave his very best puppy eyes. Though he was sure that Vulcans were immune to puppy eyes or some shit, it was worth a try, at the very least.

Spock looked a bit apprehensive, again quirking an eyebrow at the Captain. "I will consider it," he agreed placatingly and evasively.

Jim wasn't quite satisfied with that answer and was trying to figure out another way to try and convince the half-Vulcan to come with him, but his stomach decided to interrupt them. In the relative silence of Jim's still quarters, the growl was very obvious, a low gurgling sound. He looked down at his mutinous stomach accusatorily and then up at Spock, who was watching him with some level of intrigue, right eyebrow lifted elegantly.

"I believe you require sustenance," he commented.

Jim laughed a little sheepishly. "Heh... Yeah, I guess so. Wanna come with me?" he asked, standing up and scooting his chair backwards, popping his back as he did so.

"I would not be adverse to that," Spock replied with a short nod and waited for Jim to walk around the table, towards the door, to lead the way to the mess hall. They arrive to a few casual, but still respectful greetings by the crewmen. It looked mostly to be lower ranking Ensigns and Yeomen in the hall, so there was really no one else that was comfortable enough (or confident enough, really) to sit with the pair as they made their way to a round table by themselves.

On Spock's tray was something decidedly Vulcan that Jim couldn't even begin to name, though it looked a little like a green salad with some other, odd, exotic vegetables (maybe fruits? Or maybe some other freaky alien classification or something....) mixed in. Jim's held a chicken sandwich slathered in barbecue sauce with cheese, lettuce and a tomato in between the buns. He had a cup of water, Spock some reddish juice.

They sat and, surprisingly enough, it wasn't too difficult to make peasantries with the First Officer. When you got Spock onto the right subject, the Vulcan would talk your ear right off. They ate and talked in such a manner for about ten minutes, slowly taking their time to consume their food, before Bones joined them.

He plopped down beside Jim with a tray that held an apple and some cut of meat. "Hey, Jim," he said in a friendly manner, to which the Captain (who had a full mouth at the time) waved, "Hello, Spock." The latter of the greetings was punctuated with a small, almost stiff, nod of the head, far more formal. Spock returned the salutation silently and in a similar manner.

Jim noticed this, that Bones seemed to be stiff and formal with Spock. He made a note to tell his friend to relax around the half-Vulcan. Because, as he'd found that as long as you remain courteous and polite, the usually tight-laced man could be rather friendly. But then Bones did something pretty damn stupid.

"Hey Jim, how about a drink later?" he asked, then tagged on, with a pointed and definitely _not_ sneaky look at the Vulcan, "I want to talk about some stuff with you."

Jim did a mental facepalm at the gesture as he saw Spock stiffen slightly, and then straighten up. "If you wish to speak about me without my presence, Doctor McCoy, I shall simply remove myself," he said curtly as he picked up his tray and walked off.

"Wait, Spock--!" Jim started, but the Vulcan was already gone, damn inhuman speed. He did a literal facepalm this time, groaning. "Dammit, Bones, why'd you have to go and do that?"

Bones watched the half-Vulcan go, apparently unconcerned, and shrugged. "Oops. Dammit, Jim, you know I'm no good with delicate situations." Jim could tell ,though, after knowing his friend for so long and picking up on all his little quarks, that Bones felt a little bad about Spock. Though he was sure that' hurt his feelings' never really crossed his friend's mind. The Good Doctor, Jim had realized, was a bit of a xenophobe, in his own joking way. When it came down to it, he treated humans and aliens no differently, but he had a tendency to rile them more, especially Vulcans, and even more especially Spock.

Jim sighed, taking another bite of his sandwich. "So, what did you want, anyway, Bones?" he asked.

"I heard about what happened on the bridge earlier and I was curious," he said with a shrug.

Jim rolled his eyes. As serious and 'fatherly' as Bones seemed sometimes, he had an ear for gossip. He wasn't the kind to spread rumours around or anything, he just liked to know what was going on and store the information away in his personal data banks for future reference and to draw his own conclusions.

"Spock broke up with Uhura last night and she was pissed at him. I think she actually felt pretty bad about it, afterwards. They're... okay now, though, I think. At least, I don't think there will be anymore shouting matches, or anything," he said. Not that it had really been a shouting match, to begin with. More like a shouting slaughter. It had been completely one way, with Spock just standing there like a fool and letting himself be berated mercilessly.

Bones seemed to soak up the information as they finished their meals and bid each other goodnight, heading off to their respective destinations, Bones back to sickbay for a few hours, and Jim to his quarters. He got diverted, however, by a page from Scotty, requesting that he come 'take a look a' this!' down in engineering. The detour cost Jim about two hours, of which ten minutes was spent actually looking at the thing that Scotty had wanted to show the Captain, and the rest of the time was spent catching up and having a quick drink. Scotty was technically off duty, even though one would never know, seeing as how he was still down in engineering and still working and all, so having a few drinks was no big deal, Jim supposed. It was actually a little funny that he ended up drinking with Scotty and not Bones, in Jim's mind.

He eventually, at about 9 o'clock, ship time, made his way back up to his quarters. He bit his lip as he passed Spock's door, right next to his. He lingered for a moment, thinking about how the Vulcan had seemed a little upset earlier, when Bones had been an idiot at dinner. He sighed and walked up to Spock's door and rang the chime.

It was silent for just long enough that Jim had started to think that the Vulcan either wasn't there or wasn't going to answer. He had just started to turn away when the door slid open to reveal the Vulcan. Jim was immediately taken by surprise that Spock wasn't in full uniform. He was, instead, wearing just the standard blacks that came with every uniform, his blue sweater abandoned somewhere in his room. A quick glance downward revealed that he was only in his socks, as well, shoes set neatly beside the door. After a moment, too, Jim realized that Spock was wearing _two_ pairs of socks, like his feet were cold or something.

Jim also noticed that, when the door opened, he could immediately feel the temperature difference between Spock's quarters and the corridor—Spock's room was about 20 degrees hotter, at least. A light smell, something decidedly herbal and soothing drifted up and Jim could see several recently extinguished candles in the room, small wisps of smoke still curling up at the flame died out completely. He guessed that they were meditation candles and, for a moment, he felt a little guilty if he had interrupted Spock's meditation, because he knew that was really important to Vulcans.

"Captain," Spock greeted stiffly.

"Spock," Jim said with a sigh. He could tell that his First Officer was still pretty upset about him and Bones talking about him. "I just came by to tell you to stop worrying. Bones is an idiot."

Spock arched an eyebrow and Jim half expected him to add a dry 'agreed' in there, but he only nodded in a gesture for the Captain to continue.

"I promise you we weren't plotting against you or talking bad about you or keeping secrets or anything. He just wanted to know what was going on with you and Uhura, to see if there was anything he needed to be worried about, or that he could do," Jim said.

Spock seemed to think that over for a moment before nodding and seeming to relax just a bit. Jim sighed in relief, a grin spreading on his face as the taller (That was suddenly very obvious to him, as he had to look up a little, standing this close to Spock) man loosened up.

"So, you never actually gave me a real answer, Spock. Will you come home with me so I can show your chess skills off to my mom during shore leave?" he asked.

Spock seemed to hesitate again, then looked a little resigned, in a very subtle way. "You are certain that I will not be intruding?" he asked as one last ditch effort.

Jim grinned. "Of course not. Mom loves guests."

Spock the, finally, gave a nod in the affirmative. "Then I find it agreeable."

Jim's grin widened even more. "Great!" he said and clapped Spock on the shoulder before he thought about it, he quickly retracted his hand, though. It hadn't seemed to bother Spock _too_ much, though. He didn't, like, flinch or jump up and beat the shit out of him or anything, after all, at the very least. He smiled sheepishly. "Well, goodnight, then, Spock. I'll see you on the bridge tomorrow morning," he said as he turned towards his own door.

Spock nodded once, watching the Captain retreat. "Goodnight, Jim."

-

A/N: Yay!! This chapter is LONG! I hope that makes up for the fact that it's been, like a week. x3 lol. I hope you guys like it! I really enjoyed writing this chapter, especially the chess game. But, anyway, so I hardly ever do outlines for chapters, I just write them as they come. This one was so long that I knew I'd forget if I didn't, so I did. When I was referring back to it, I realized that when I write basic ideas of things, it's really freakin' funny. So, for your amusement purposes, here's the outline for this chapter:

After fight, spock comes to thank him and they end up playing chess. The chess board was sent by Winona, as a ploy to get him to come home on shore leave. She says it's a tradition, that her dad sent her a board to get her to come home during leave about a year after she enlisted, because he was a chess champ and wanted to play her. They talk about leave then and Spock says he'll be staying in san francisco to do research or some shit. Jim invites spock saying 'Well, since I've practiced so much on you, you'll just have to come and show mom your skills, too" spock is kindda sketchy, not giving a real answer. Jim's tummy growls and spock says he 'requires sustenance' and they go off to the mess hall. Bones joins them and delivers the line "Join me for a drink later, so we can talk about some things in private." and glances at spock, thinking the vulcan is not looking. Spock is quick to gather the info and gets a little upset and says "If you wish to speak about me without my presence, I shall leave" and goes off in a huff. "Awww, Bones, why'd you have to go and do that?" "Oops... sorry Jim... I just wanted to know.." about all the shit and blah blah blah. Fuck..... they talk and shit over a drink (Good ole' bourbon or something...) and then, before bed, Jim stops off at Spock's room to explain to him. He catches a glimpse of his meditation shit or something and goes off on a tangent thought about that. I dunno, something all mushy gushy without being sissy. And then he just explains that Boens just wanted to know what was up and Spock relaxes a bit when he is assured that they weren't scheming or talking shit or anything and jim re-invites spock and he reluctantly agrees. Goodnight~~~

MirrorFlower and DarkWind: lol, yeah. Jim has commitment-phobia (Maybe I should look up the real name for that... lol) But he's gonna get better! Promise! -winkwink-

Mary: Wow, you're totally a wealth of information! Thanks for all the info! I really like the idea about putting a Romulan on the Enterprise, too. I think I might use that, later on. I found a good reference site that tells about different species, and I'm thinking about some Borgs.

Veglma: o_0 Scaaaarrrryyy.... lol x3 I love Jim's little random lines, too. It's so ridiculous, I'm so happy that I giggle and squeal when I write those little funny parts. Lol

Lady Merlin: ^.^ No problem, you definitely deserve the props! I like my Jim, too. (I like your Jim, and your Spock, too!) I like lots of other Jims, too, ones that are kindda stereotypical to his strong suits, but I like the more diverse versions of him better, and that's always what I aim for.

Inp10: Lol, yeah I tried to handle it as delicately as Jim could x3 And, oh yes whatever _will_ happen during shore leave? I do wonder? Lol

mildetryth: lol yeah. But he's _Vulcan,_ you gotta cut him at least a little slack and leeway to be blunt and a little tactless. Lol

Mandiranda: lol, I'll try and get some scuffles in between them. And I'm totally dreaming of a Bones/Spock tiff, too. That'd be funny and I want to challenge myself in coming up with the creative insults that I know would come from both sides. x3


	11. Alpha Shift

The next morning Spock awoke promptly 1.5 minutes before the commencement of Alpha Shift, as was customary. He sat up and... he stayed there, swaying slightly.

Spock was dizzy.

He was not very alarmed by this condition, however. He was very accustomed to such occurrences, by then. The half-Vulcan merely sat until the odd lightheadedness passed and he was confident in his abilities to stand without falling.

Vulcans and Humans seemed very similar in appearance, but had vastly different physiology when it came down to how their bodies actually functioned. Vulcans had an average heart rate was over three times that of a Human's. Spock's typical heart rate laid somewhere between the two, but far closer to a Vulcan's. His mixed genetics caused one rather unique problem, which was the root cause of his frequent dizziness.

Vulcan physiology, as his body tended to lean towards, dictated an extraordinarily low blood pressure, by human standards. If a Vulcan's blood pressure were to even come close to an average Human's, they would be dead, as the reverse is true. His blood pressure was low, hard to pick up on any but the most sensitive of monitors. His human parts did not agree with this state of being and took every opportunity to rebel against it by making things difficult for him.

As a child he had been examined several times and had found that, aside from the dizziness when he first awoke and on rare other occasions, there seemed to be no adverse side effects to his odd condition. There was no notation on his medical chart, because it had not been noticed when being examined upon entrance to Starfleet, thus no one on the Enterprise, even including Doctor McCoy, knew of his blood pressure problems. Spock very much intended to keep it that way, too, unless it became a larger inconvenience than it already was and he found himself in need to medical assistance.

Spock had ample time to ready himself for the day ahead, grooming himself carefully and eating a small meal in the mess hall before heading to the Bridge and arriving approximately 6 minutes before the beginning of the shift. He relieved the tired looking Officer who had been manning his post for the past several hours of the ship's night with a short nod .

He took up his place behind his console with a strange almost nostalgic sense of comfort. This was where he was at his most confident, in front of a display screen that fed him exactly the information he needed to know to perform his duties correctly. He allowed his fingers to slide slowly over the screen, feeling the subtle, healthy hum beneath his sensitive skin that told him his console was functioning correctly.

He began to busy himself with looking over the readings from all the ship's basic systems from the previous night, from the point when he'd been relieved, to right then. It was 5 minutes later, narrowly before the time that their shift actually began, that the Captain arrived. His hair was still very slightly damp. It was most probably from a shower, Spock could only assume.

The tired sense of the attending crew, either still tired and in the process of becoming fully alert for the day ahead of them, or tired because they were in need of sleep and waiting to be relieved of duty, seemed to perk up almost tangibly when their Captain entered.

He was smiling already, but not his usual charming, cocky smirk. This smile, Spock observed, was one of mere contentment as Star Fleet's youngest captain slid into his chair, sitting with an air of authority, though no one would draw that conclusion by simply looking at his physical appearance or a still very young man. The sense of authority was in no way oppressive, however, a concept which many seemed to fail to grasp.

He sent polite greetings to all of the Bridge Crew, inquiring, at large, how everyone was. All gave varying responses of the optimistic, positive persuasion. Spock, as per usual, had no intention to engage in the niceties that most Terrans and many other species seemed inclined to engage in. But, then, he was called out specifically.

Jim turned to him, chair pivoting. He dragged his feet along the ground to slow his turning until he was directly facing the half-Vulcan First Officer. "And how are you, Mister Spock?" he asked, his tone bright.

Spock lifted one eyebrow very slightly, noting that the Captain's eyes flicked, very briefly, from direct eye contact, to looking at the arched brow, then back down again. "No much occurred between the time we last spoke and when I retired to bed. And nothing of consequence has transpired this morning, as of yet," he responded.

The Captain then grinned. It was closer to that smirk that Spock found so illogically appealing and frustrating at the same time."Good," he addressed Spock, then to the crew at large, "like he said, crew, 'as of yet'. Stay on your toes, even though we don't expect anything to go on. Expect the unexpected, yeah?" He swung back around and that was that.

Fascinating.... James Kirk took a very simple response which held no real merit more than a simple, 'nothing much', if put in more casual vernacular, and managed to twist it into a somehow inspirational reminder to remain alert without seeming condescending or as if he was lecturing at all.

_Fascinating._

-

A/N: Ahahaa. Random Spock chapter, yay! Lol, this is mainly for Mary, because she seems so eager for more Spock-centric chapters. And, to VERENNA, I hope that maybe this appeases you a little, yeah? Not exactly Stalker-Jim, but more weirdo-obsessive-Spock? Lol I'll get some more deep, insightful Jim in, when we go home to visit mommy. And, for any of you who share the same concerns as her (I'm just assuming you're a girl, VERENNA, sorry if I'm wrong and I offend!) I promise this isn't going to become another run-of-the-mill 'Jim takes Spock to see Mommy and then there's Pon Farr and hotmadsmex,ohdamn' kind of fic. Though... those things all may happen during the story, I plan on this being pretty unique and I hope you guys like it. If it ever seems like I'm getting boring or the story goes downhill into generic K/S slash fic area, be sure to tell me! Lol

Mildetryth: Lol, yeah, me too. They're just so cutsey. X3 -huggles-

Mary: Yup! Just for you! Lol

MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Yup, agreed. Some people think it's cliché, but I totally squee during chess scenes, just 'cause it's, like, a tradition. And you didn't have to wait very long! Lol It's been, what, a couple hours since chapter 10 went up? Lol

knp10: Yeppers, vacation time! And I love meddling Bones, it's just too funny. I don't feel that I wrote him very well in that chapter, though... =/ I promise I'll get him better in some more in-depth scenes.

MondaysGirl: lol Yep. Spock's my baby. I just wanna shelter him, y'know? Lol. Don't worry, Jimmy will protect you!

Veglma: lol I see you're quite the Bones fan, eh? Haha. I don't think I wrote him very well this chapter, but I'll do better in future chapters, I promise. I love Kirk/Bones friendship. And Spock/Bones frienemiship. Lol


	12. Homebound

Spock was immensely uncomfortable.

He did not enjoy the idea of standing, or even sitting, for several hours in a very crowded shuttle with people constantly boarding and vacating the area around him, with no consideration for personal space. His personal bubble was something that Spock very much protected and kept closely guarded. So, when most of the crew of the Enterprise was beamed down to the surface in San Francisco, Captain and First Officer included, Jim naturally said they were headed straight for the nearest public transportation station.

Naturally.

It seemed that things that made Spock uncomfortable had seemed to become only natural for Jim to suggest, since they had initially started to slowly form the odd bond of half-friendship they now shared, beginning with that first chess game and the invitation for Spock to accompany Jim home. Now, faced with the daunting task of enduring approximately six hours of such a close proximity to strangers who had no respect for a Vulcan's wish for abstaining from physical contact, Spock was beginning to regret his acceptance.

No, he relented after a moment's consideration, he did not regret his accompaniment to Iowa. At least, he did not as of yet. But, in any case, it seemed to be, however reluctant he was to admit such, even to himself, worth the discomfort simply to appease his Captain's wishes.

"C'mon, Spock. I've got our tickets," the aforementioned Captain called from several feet away from where Spock stood, back not quite _plastered_ against the wall in a desperate attempt to remove himself from the main stream of the bustling crowd. The half-Vulcan had used the excuse of it being far more simple for one person to attend to their bags and remain stationary whilst the other required the necessary boarding passes. He had, of course, immediately volunteered to watch the bags and allowed the other man to go off to purchase their tickets.

Spock looked over at the younger Captain, who looked much younger dressed in civilian clothes, he observed. Jim Kirk was currently wearing a pair of denim blue jeans (his favourite pair, he would come to lament later on) and a simple dark green t-shirt that displayed the logo of a company that manufactured motorcycles, Spock believed. He also had a black leather jacket folded neatly over his arm to ward off the cool air when they reached Iowa. It was, after all, the autumn season, bordering on the beginnings of winter, in that particular region of the Earth.

Spock was dressed much more warmly than his companion who approached and grabbed his bag, jerking his head in the general direction of the boarding area, signaling Spock to follow him. The half-Vulcan, easily chilled by temperatures that were deemed comfortable by the average Human, wore a pair of black pants, plain and simple. Above that, wrapping his torso snugly was another simple black garment, this time a long-sleeved, shirt. Layered over that was a much baggier fitting loosely knit grey sweater that kept him quite warm. He had a black coat, as well, easily accessible in his bag, should the temperature drop any when they moved north from California to Iowa.

Then Spock simply did as was bidden of him and followed the young Captain. They fell into step easily beside each other and Spock found that, even though his legs were longer than Jim's, their paces were a perfect match without any conscious attempt to walk in a synchronized manner.

It was only a short walk to the actual shuttle that would be taking them to a small station in Jim's home town, but even in those few short minutes of walking, Spock was jostled by a passer-by more than once. Each time he made inadvertent contact with somebody, he stiffened, bristling at the small wave of notion it sent over him.

Vulcans were touch telepaths, as he had been required to explain to other crew members on various occasions. This was the main reason behind their general distaste for physical contact, especially amongst other species of sentient beings. Vulcans, as well as a handful of other telepathic species, had enough control over their minds to build up walls, blocking out inadvertent thought transferences. Humans at large, however, had no such ability without proper training and great attention. So, anytime Spock brushed against one of the crowd members, even if it wasn't direct skin-to-skin contact, he was suddenly hit with a surge of _presence_. And another, uninvited presence in one's mind was not a pleasant experience, especially when it was so brief and fleeting, leaving a vague sense of disorientation in its wake.

However, Spock noticed something very odd as they boarded the crowded shuttle, which had both seats and standing area. As they pushed their way through the group of people, it seemed that Jim had intentionally moved in front of him, almost as if to deter the majority of people who might accidentally brush against him. He continued his unspoken job as buffer until they reached the end of the row and gestured for Spock to take the seat against the wall so that the only person he had to actually be next to for any length of time was Jim.

Spock was immensely appreciative, but also quite curious. As the shuttle started up and he felt the inertial dampeners kick in, giving them the feeling of being in a slow moving car, he decided he might as well inquire as to Jim's motivations.

"Captain," he began.

"Jim!" the other cut in, startling Spock into silence with the conviction of the correction. Jim chuckled, "Please, Spock, call me Jim when we're not on duty. _Especially_ when we're on vacation."

Spock nodded, regaining his semblance. "Jim," he amended, "I could not overlook the fact that, as we boarded the shuttle, you placed yourself in front of my person, deterring any physical contact with me."

Jim merely shrugged. "Should I not've?" he asked, his brow creasing momentarily.

Spock shook his head minutely. "No, it was a much appreciated sentiment," Spock assured, "I was only curious as to your motivations?" He paused then, waiting to see if the younger male would take his prompt and 'run with it' as the Terran phrase went.

Jim shrugged again, indeed running with it. "I dunno. I guess I just kind of noticed you were uncomfortable. It's the whole touch telepath thing, right? You don't like being touched by random strangers, because you get a peek inside their heads when you do, right?"

Spock nodded. "I was not aware that I was giving any indication of my discomfort," he said.

Jim's eyebrows shot up. "It was pretty obvious... well, it was to me, anyway. You looked kind of like a cat that had water thrown on it every time someone touched you." This earned an arched eyebrow from Spock. "But, I'm pretty curious. I don't know much about your telepathy, because you never _tell_ me anything," he gave the half-Vulcan a pointed look and continued, "what's it like, those little transferences? Can you, like, actually hear someone's thoughts?"

Spock paused to consider precisely how he should word his explanation. He decided a metaphor would

be the best way to put it in relatable human terms. "Think of your thoughts as music," Spock began, earning a confused look from Jim, "there are several mediums through which one may listen to recorded music files. The two most common are speakers and headphones. Vulcans have trained themselves to think in the form of headphones. When two Vulcans come in close proximity, such as sharing physical contact, we only also share thoughts with a conscious choice. It is like taking one of the ear buds of your headset out and passing it to the person next to you, so that they may listen. Humans, and other sentient beings who are not trained in such a manner, broadcast their thoughts on a speaker, so that when a Vulcan makes contact, they may hear the 'music' so to say."

"So, you _can_ actually read my mind, if I were to, say, brush my hand against yours?" Jim asked.

"No. It would take a much more sustained, lingering touch for me to be able to discern individual lines of thought without your consent. It is more like..." he trailed off, trying to form the comparison in his head. "It is like your thoughts are on a speaker, but the volume is turned down low, so the music is only playing very softly. When I come close, I can, perhaps, tell what type of music it is, but not the exact lyrics or tune."

"So you can.... tell what mood I'm in?" Jim asked, still a bit confused, but less so now than he had been at the beginning of the explanation.

Spock considered for a moment, then nodded, deciding the explanation was acceptable. "Yes, that is a sufficient comprehension," he agreed.

"Neat," Jim said after a moment, grinning.

Spock cocked another eyebrow at Jim, then simply gave his head a minuscule shake and was content to simply sit in companionable silence for a short time.

–

A/N: Yay for more Spock-centric stuff. I'm I doing okay at writing him?

MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Agreed, totally. And 'fascinating' is, like, Spock's _official_ catchphrase. X3 Thanks for your constant reviews, by the way!

Knp10: lol I thought I might introduce the low blood pressure/dizzy thing early, since I actually plan on doing something with it later. So when I do it everyone won't be like 'wtf? Where did _that_ come from!?' lol

mildetryth: lol Thanks! I actually came up with the idea a while ago and used it in a roleplay (You know what I'm talking about if you read, Becca lol) and I really liked the idea enough that I wanted to do more with it. And don't worry, you mad monkey sex is coming, slowly but surely -winkwink-

Mandiranda: lol, sorry I got your hopes up. Pon Farr is coming, for sure, but not for a little bit.

Mary: Here's ANOTHER Spock chapter for you!! lol The next one's a Jimmy, though! And Bones makes an appearance!

I'd also like to take a second to thank all the people who have been favouriting/alerting. Even if there's no first-hand contact, it's still a big motivator to get the emails telling me my story is being read!

3


	13. An Surprise Visitor

They fell into a comfortable silence quite easily, much to Jim's amazement. Usually silence was a bad thing, to him. It was heavy and oppressive and awkward and uncomfortable and he didn't like it one bit. Most of the time he would have just filled it with small talk, some light chitchat, or a few jokes, or _something_. But with Spock, it seemed, he was able to just sit in companionable silence with ease. Though, maybe, that was helped along a little bit by the buzzing crowd around them.

An odd thought occurred to Jim, then. For Jim the conversation around them was a constant murmuring, almost like white noise. He would occasionally pick up short snippets of conversation or a burst of laughter or something. But, beside that it was all kind of fuzzy.

But Spock, he was guessing, could hear each and every word of every conversation taking place around them. It was overloading to even _think_ about having to process that much useless, random crap. He couldn't even imagine being like that 24/7.

As he pondered this thought, Jim caught himself staring at Spock in a not-so-sneaky way.

It was at least 5 degrees cooler on the shuttle craft than it was back in San Francisco where they'd boarded and Spock had, at some point earlier, pulled on his jacket to keep away the onset of cold. It was obvious that he was cold, not to the casual passerby, but someone who examined him closely. His nose and cheeks and the elegantly pointed tips of his ears were tinged just a half a shade darker green than usual, like a Human's would be red when they were out in wintery weather. He supposed that the only moderately cool shuttle craft to him was colder than anything ever experienced on Vulcan, and just out of Spock's comfort zone.

The half-Vulcan beside him was staring silently out the window across from him as the 'scenery' rushed by in a what amounted to nothing more than a blur of colours. Though, he wondered, could Spock's superior eyesight track things that quickly and pick our legible pictures? The dark brown eyes seemed contemplative, though that didn't necessarily mean that he was contemplating anything he was actually seeing.

Jim had noticed this characteristic in Spock since they'd began serving together, as well. Whenever he was concentrating hard on something, trying to wrap his mind around some difficult problem presented to him, or attempting (in vain, usually) to figure out why the _hell _humans were so goddamn illogical, he would sort of zone out. He usually disguised it well by looking down at his display panel of a datapad, but Jim had noticed that it was almost like he was staring _through _it more than at it. It was one of those small telling habits about the half-Vulcan that Jim couldn't help but find endearing and make the stoic man a little bit more likeable than most thought him to be.

Then his gaze turned on Jim, who should've expected it, given that he was being so obvious about his staring, but it still managed to take him a little off guard. Those eyes were so piercing, a task difficult to accomplish with darkly coloured eyes. It was usually people like him, with bright blue (sometimes they even turned icy, in the right light) eyes that were described as 'piercing'. There was no other word to describe it, though. It was like he was being calculated, every fiber of his being tallied up.

After a long, hypnotizing moment, Spock's gaze quickly darted away, to the opposite end of their section of the shuttle craft.

Was it odd that Jim felt a little breathless and dizzy?

He hadn't realized it, but during the entire time they'd had their eyes locked (and Jim had absolutely _no _ idea how long that actually was) he'd been holding his breath. He felt a little tingly, goosebumps raising up and down his arms and the hairs on the back of his neck standing straight up. It was a little eerie, but not in a horribly bad way. The only thing was...

What the hell _was_ it?

His thoughts were interrupted, however, by Spock's voice, "I do believe we have company," Spock said just a moment before another voice cut in.

"Jim! There you are! I've been looking for you since this damn contraption took off!"

Jim looked over to be presented with the image of Doctor Leonard 'Bones' McCoy dropping into the empty seat next to him, immediately beginning to complain about the shuttle craft, and how dangerous it was.

"...and the damn thing could explode at any—wait," he paused. It only just then seemed to occur to the good doctor that there was another person from the Enterprise present. He leaned forward, glancing past Jim, and raised an eyebrow. "What's the hobgoblin doing here?" he asked, eyes turning back to Jim.

Jim, whose eyebrows had shot up immediately, and only now creased together, glanced over at Spock, who had his right eyebrow raised, then replied, "He's coming with me. But what are _you_ doing here? I thought you were going off-world to see Joanna?"

"The shuttle broke down—just another reason why I hate these damn things! Unreliable!" he ranted, then seemed to recover from his tangent quite quickly, "and I have to get an off-world one at the next stop. It was real last minute and I damn near missed the take off. But I knew this was the one you were planning to take." His brow creased again. "But that doesn't answer my question. Why's the hobgoblin here?"

Jim rolled his eyes and was about to tell Bones to mind his own business and lay off Spock when all hell broke loose.

The craft suddenly pitched downwards, inertial dampeners failing, and everybody was thrown into a chaotic, panicked heap. There were surprised yelps from all around. The lights went out, only dimming light flooding in through the windows illuminating their surroundings. Jim found himself up against Spock, his face pressed firmly somewhere against the half-Vulcan's abdomen and effectively pinning him into the corner. He could feel the other man stiffen beneath him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he muttered urgently, crawling backwards off the other man in a rush as the lights flickered back on.

Spock shook his head curtly, his motions short and strained. "It was by no fault of your own, Jim," he replied simply as he straightened himself.

A message came over the system as the ship leveled out evenly again. It said to remain calm and that the problem was solved, that they had passed through an irregularly magnetized spot, and that all systems had been righted.

Jim sighed in relief. He'd been kind of worried for a second. He even chuckled now. "Geez, what a pilot, huh Bones?" Jim said casually over his shoulder. When he heard nothing, he paused. "Bones?" he asked again, turning around to search for his friend, who had maybe gotten hurt in the momentary chaos.

Instead of actually injured, he found his friend in a just as bad, if not worse condition. One hand was digging into the seat with such a grip that his knuckles were white, the other was knotted in his hair. He was bent over, his legs curled up slightly. Jim could see his friend trembling and hear short, panicked breaths as he rocked back and forth slowly, eyes squeezed shut.

Oh, _fuck_.

Bones had severe aviophobia.

Damn.

–

A/N: Ahahaha!! Cliff hanger, bitches! Lol. Poor Bones. Good? Yes, no? Review, please!! ^_^

mandiranda: Lol that's _exactly_ what I said after the first time I read something that actually explained how Vulcan telepathy worked more than 'they read minds!!!' I stopped reading, chuckled and said "Neat!" lolx x3

Bubbly714: Thanks! It's always inspiring to tell people I'm doing good and they like my stuff!

Abbby: Thankkies. And, but of course!

MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Totally is. And thanks a bunch. I was super proud of myself for coming up with the idea. Lol

circa divide: Wowzers. I do that sometimes, then I'm all pissed off when there's no more. (especially when it's a cliffhanger like this chapter! -maniacal laughter-) Lol I hope I don't disappoint. I'll try to update again as soon as possible.

Veglma: lol. Jim's smart sometimes. And thankkies.

Miledtryth: I know!! I wish my teachers were sexy like Spock and explained things like him. It'd be so effin' badass!!

: Thanks for a ll the compliments! Alerting me like you did is a HUGE compliment!!Okay, to address your suggestions. I changed the summary, because when I stop to think about it, yeah, that is a bad idea to put 'I suck at summaries' in it. I wrote the first four chapters randomly one night without any real idea of where the story was going, and it just kind of took off. I thought maybe it was going to be some sort of almost drabble, but the plot just seemed to form itself! So, I understand not liking the shortness. I got longer, though!! (Though, this is a kindda short chapter, by the standards of some of the others...) But, as for the idea to put the first four chapters into one, it might be a good idea, but I don't want to go back and change it now, really. I'll think about it if I ever use something similar in the future, though, for sure.

Mary: lol thanks! Mom's not for a little bit, though. Gotta deal with Bones first. Lol. Poor guy.

Lanenkar: Yippee! Thanks a bunch for the props! Lol, yeah, I noticed the other 'Observations' A few chapters ago, because it got updated at the same time as mind and they were right next to each other on the list and it confused me for a second xD

Lady Squish: Thanks! I'll keep on tryin' my best!

Harm Marie: Thanks! Hope I don't disappoint!


	14. Panic Attack

"Fuck. Spock!" Jim said, a little bit of panic rising in his own voice as he slid to his knees on the floor in front of bones, trying to get a look at his face. He seemed to be muttering something inaudibly under his breath between gasps.

"Bones. Bones!" Jim said, a little frantically, trying to pry his friend's hand out of his hair. His fist was clenched so tightly, though, that Jim had no hopes of doing so.

Spock seemed to take quick toll of the situation, assessing the events in a short moment. "Doctor McCoy is experiencing a panic attack as a result of his aviophobia," he explained, "It is imperative that we attempt to calm him."

Jim nodded gravely, his own heart racing. It was so weird, just _wrong_ to see Bones like that, all freaked out. Before his friend's aviophobia had amounted to nothing more than bitching about planes and and shuttles and shit, almost like a joke to Jim. But now he saw how serious it really was when the shit hit the fan.

"Bones! Calm down! It's all in your head. The shuttle's fine now," he said rushedly, his own voice quivering. Why the hell was he having such a hard time trying to calm Bones down? He could pilot a star ship during a full-fledged fire fight in enemy space with no back up, but he couldn't talk to a panicky friend? What the hell? As Bones didn't seem to calm down, in fact, he seemed to curl up even tighter, Jim looked to Spock for help.

Spock looked at him with measuring eyes, probably sizing up whether he thought the younger man could actually do this. He seemed to decide that either no, he couldn't, or it would be far simpler for Spock to speak to him as he moved closer to the trembling doctor.

"Jim," he said softly, "please ask the other passengers to move a minimum of 12 feet away from Doctor McCoy and see if you are able to procure a paper bag." Spock laid a hand lightly on Jim's shoulder.

Instantly, Jim felt calm flooding through him. His heart, which had begun to race when he'd become panicked and anxious about Bones' condition, slowed back to normal. He felt reassured, somehow. It was an eerie sort of feeling, like seemed to be common whenever Spock was involved but, as was also typically true with Spock, it wasn't bad. It was like the half-Vulcan was lending him some of his resolve, not like he was manipulating him, like Jim might've felt, but didn't.

Jim nodded, standing up and beginning to shoo people away, and asking around for a plastic bag just as Spock knelt in front of Bones and started muttering something to him quietly.

–

Spock was kneeling in front of Doctor McCoy as the man rocked slowly. He was very aware of all the eyes watching him closely with varied sentiment of concern and curiosity. He placed one hand lightly on the Doctor's knee, the fabric rough between his fingertips.

"Doctor McCoy, I need you to acknowledge that you are aware of my presence," he said calmly.

The head, obscured by hands knotted within his dark brown hair, moved in a jerky nod. Spock nodded in kind.

"I am going to attempt to enter your mind and assist you with calming yourself. I give my word that I will not take any unnecessary measures in your mind and that it will in no way harm you. Is this alright with you?" he asked, hand moving up to the other man's hand and lightly touching it.

The skin on skin contact made him bristle slightly as he felt panic flood across the weak, wavering connection he had formed with the panicking man before him. He closed his eyes with a deep breath and resisted the urge to pull away as he sensed—through the partial connection—rather than felt the Doctor nod in consent. Spock began, then, with fathering his will and mental force, which only took less than a second to center and focus. He then concentrated on an very calm, serene sensation, and willed it across their link to McCoy.

Spock felt the change in the other man almost instantaneously, as his muscles relaxed, not all the way, but at the very least they weren't coiled to the point of cramping, which Spock had gathered from his assessment of the Doctor's state across the temporary connection. He was still panting and gasping, though.

"I request that your match your breathing to mine, Doctor McCoy," Spock said in that same, droning monotone that he always used. His ears became acutely aware of Jim's voice in the background as he snapped at another passenger to 'back the hell up, lady' to the half-Vulcan's very, very slight amusement.

He evened his breathing to slow, deep breaths. Perhaps the paper bag would not be necessary, he thought. He felt Doctor McCoy gradually deepen his breaths, attempting to even them out, as Spock's calmness, the notion of serenity floating between them, assisted him. It was a few minutes later when McCoy let out a particularly deep breath and with it went the last of his panic and tenseness. He slumped backwards, against the seat and Spock pulled his hand away from the Doctor's. The sudden lack of another consciousness touching his own was stunning, a little relieving and disconcerting at the same time. It was like a warm spot from another person's body heat, suddenly exposed to cold air.

Spock's eyes opened and he looked around to find that he was still being watched. Jim, along with the rest of the passengers in their section of the transport, were all silent as he straightened himself, standing upright. Then the strangest thing happened.

They began to applaud. It confused Spock greatly and he had to use serious effort to keep the confusion from his face. But, in his attempts to ascertain why, precisely, they were clapping for him, he turned his gaze to Jim, who was beaming. He was smiling, so fiercely and with such a mix of emotions, ranging from ecstasy to relief to pride, that Spock had the illogical compulsion to smile right back at him. But, of course, he didn't.

The fact that he gave no outward signs did not mean, however, that the sight of Jim's smile as he clapped with everyone else, his Captain's eyes shining with that strange plethora of sentiments, did not send a small, illogical, irrational, thrill up his spine, causing him to shiver in a very pleasant way and odd way.

–

A/N: Well, we jumped POV/centic's (or whatever the hell you want to call it lol) in this chapter, because it would've been ridiculously short, if I hadn't. XD lol

Lady Merlin: I hope Jim wasn't _too_ horrible x3 I thought it was sorta important for Spock to have a little moment of glory and Jim to step back and sorta watch him, y'know? Plus, this way, Jim has something to blither on about, when they get to Iowa. Lolz

MissStud: Oh, yes, don't we all? -wicked grin- I've laid many subtle parts in that last chapter that will be thought over, once things calm down. ^_^ lol

ThePurringTribble: Thanks for the props!! I've started to read jAnon's before, then got distracted (not because it was bad, mind you, just because I'm super ADD x3) and I've been meaning to get around to it again sometime soon. I've read some of your reviews on other stories, and I've always noticed that you're pretty insightful and constructive, so thanks! I try hard to put little details about things with Spock in.

rose taylor: Yeah, poor Bones x3 But he's okay now.

Mildetryth: xD -dies laughing- Oh, wow. Can I have permission to use that _exact_ quote sometime, like, when he's drunk or something? Pretty please? Lolz

Sparrow: Yay! I'm glad you like it. I sometime stumble onto a really good fic and read it all in one sitting and am all disappointed when there's no more chapters, too. Lolz

OooLadyLucklessooO: Omg, maybe Jim can give you a paper bag so you don't hyper ventilate x3 And... I try -grins-

Mandy: Thanks! Hope you liked this chapter, too!!

MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Yep ^_^ He's cool now. Thanks!

Veglma: I honest to God seriously considered that for, like, ten minutes, but then I thought that it'd take away from the dramatic panic and focus on the sexual tension just a little too much for that particular scene. But have no fear, more awkward sexually charged contact is soon to come ^_^ lolz

Mary: I know. I just wanna hug the grumpy old man. Lol

Neenabluegirl: Thanks! lol Bones _enjoys_ ruining Spock and Jim's moments. He basks in the glory of it. Lol I like him a lot, too. He's like the grumbly papa/uncle/big brother/what-the-hell-ever kindda figure for Jim x3

Kitsune-chan: It was such a wonderful opportunity that, really, how could I resist!! It's, like, the perfect wrench to throw into things and making them twistedly fun ^_^ Thanks a bunch!


	15. Moonlight Sonata

"That was _awesome_!" the young Captain said as he danced ahead a few steps in front of Spock, spinning so that he was walking backwards, facing his First Officer.

"I do not see how I was so 'awesome', Captain," Spock said, his head tilting to the side, very slightly, as if perplexed, much like a cat might.

"Jim, Spock. Jim," he said with a soft sigh, reiterating the point. He was being stubborn, he knew, insisting that Spock call him by his given name, when he was obviously accustomed to the title, and only trying to be polite in continuing to do so, even when not on duty. But, it just felt so...._ stuffy_. He didn't like being called 'Captain' on a personal basis. It made him feel old. "And it _was_ awesome. You were so calm and cool. You handled the situation better than anyone else there could've, and I know that Bones isn't exactly the most easy person to deal with."

"He is a particularly illogical human, in the typical case," Spock agreed with what Jim might dare to call amusement laced into his tone. It was very subtle, very vague, but it was definitely there. Jim grinned in response as he turned and paused, waiting for the half-Vulcan to catch up before falling into step with him, once again.

They walked in a companionable silence for the remainder of the time it took to reach his home. They'd been dropped off on the opposite edge of town and, after checking that Spock was fine with the idea, Jim decided it might be nice to walk through the fields.

He grinned widely when his house came into sight. It was a tall, two story house, really old-fashioned. It was not only _like_ a farm house straight out of the late 20th century, it _was_ a farm house straight out of the late 20th century. It would have been nothing special back then and, still now, in a town full of old houses, it wasn't too unusual, but it was still always a little shocking to see such outdated homes, when everything was so modern in the cities.

He glanced over at Spock, who was regarding the house with a large amount of curiosity. His eyes slid over the building slowly, then jumped from one spot to another, focusing on something that intrigued him, though Jim wasn't sure what. His head was tilted to the side just fractionally, again, like he had a tendency to do when he was looking at something for the first time.

Jim grinned. "Home, sweet home. I dunno where Mom is, though. She might not be back until later tonight," he said as he walked up the steps to the covered porch. He opened the screen door, trying the knob on the main door. He rolled his eyes when it opened easily. He always told her she should lock the doors, just to be safe, but she never did.

He tossed his bag down just inside the door, kicking his shoes off, walking into the main interior of the room. He went into the kitchen to find a note stuck to the door of the refrigerator.

_Jim,_

_Don't touch anything in the fridge! I'll be back in an hour, at the most, and we can go out to dinner together. Spock, too, if he's with you. _

_-Mom_

He sighed. She knew him way too well. The first thing on his mind had been to raid the fridge to see if there was any non-replicated food he could snack on, since he hadn't had any in a long time. Plants that had actually been grown and meat that had actually been alive were hard to come by in space. He glanced back at Spock, to find him standing in the doorway, still completely bundled up and holding his bag, looking curiously around the room.

Jim scoffed. "You _can_ come in, you know," he said, a hint of teasing in his voice. Spock looked up at him, with what was close to surprise on his face. It was almost like he'd forgotten that Jim was there and gotten caught up in looking around.

"Of course," he said smoothly, with a small nod. The half' Vulcan stepped into the room, setting his bag to the side, and bent to unlace his boots so methodically and neatly. Jim grinned at that. Anything that Spock did was done in such an orderly fashion. It was endearing.

When Spock stood again, he resumed his looking around curiously. "Feel free to explore," Jim said with a short laugh, Spock nodded again and moved forward, socked feet nearly silent against the hardwood entryway, and totally silent on the bouncy carpet.

Jim dropped onto the sofa and decided that observing Spock as he observed the house sounded interesting enough to pass however many minutes they had to kill until his mom came back. He watched as Spock surveyed the room, walking slowly towards the walls and stopping in front of a few old-fashioned pictures that hung on the wall.

The one that he was looking the closest at was of his mother, father, and Sam. They were standing outside the front of the house. They all had white paint smeared all over their clothes, and it could be seen that the picket fence, which still bordered most of the house, was halfway painted. Same was about three, just big enough to want to help, but not big enough to actually get much accomplished, and he had the most paint on him. His dad was wearing a pair of jeans and an old black t-shirt, both smeared with spots of white. His mother was wearing a pair of shorts that almost hit her knees, letting her legs that curled underneath her grow tan in the sun. Her t-shirt was stretched tight over a swollen, pregnant belly that held one James T. Kirk to be.

"Mom says that's the only family portrait we have, with all of us in it," Jim said as he stood, moving to stand by Spock and look at the picture with him. Spock glanced at him, then back at the picture.

"Curious, since you are not actually in the picture. Though I can derive her meaning," he said, looking at the picture again, this time more intrigued, as if what Jim had said brought a whole new light to it.

Jim walked around, too. It'd been a while since he'd been home. It wasn't like anything had changed, really, except where a few of the knick knacks were placed on the various shelves and tables. He wandered over to the piano, eventually. It looked so out of place, a big baby grand sitting in the middle of this very mid-west America-esque farmhouse. His mom had always told him it was a family heirloom on his father's side, though, so she'd kept it, even though none of t hem knew how to play more than a couple shaky, pathetic sounding little tunes. She told him that his father had played beautifully, though.

"What are these devices, Captain?" came Spock's voice. Jim turned an looked, laughing shortly.

"It's Jim, Spock," he reminded quickly, "And they're thimbles. They're for protecting your fingers when sewing by hand. Mom has a collection." As he spoke, he slid onto the piano bench, lifting the cover off of the keyboard.

"Fascinating...." Spock murmured to himself from behind Jim.

He slid his fingers into place unsurely. He couldn't quite remember if they were supposed to go there, or _there_. He struck one of the notes, cringed at how wrong it was, then adjusted his hands, picking out a very shaky, barely recognizable rendition of "Mary Had A Little Lamb". He laughed at himself as he finished, and turned to find Spock staring intently at him.

He raised his eyebrows at the half-Vulcan, who then approached. "I have never seen a piano before. I have seen pictures and such, but I have never had the opportunity to examine a real one. I have neer heard anyone play the piano before, either, aside from recordings."

Jim looked at Spock incredulously. "C'mere, then. You can fool around with it, if you want. I don't think you're gonna break it," he said, patting the space on the bench next to him.

Spock hesitated for a short moment before sitting next to him. He slid his fingers lightly over the keys, hands barely a weight on the piano at all. Jim grinned at the sight. He had been right in his musings before—Spock's hands were perfect for piano playing. His creamy white skin almost blended in with the off-white of the piano keys as he pressed the first key.

Spock paused to listen to it, concentrating, then his fingers began to move over the keys slowly on the right side, creating a haunting melody. Jim paused, then his jaw almost dropped as he listened. For someone who'd never played the piano before, Spock was pretty damn good.

Jim turned to watch Spock's face as he played. His eyes had closed, and his body rocked slightly back and forth with the tune. He nodded his head, every now and then. His lips were just barely parted, his head tilted to the side, and his eyebrows pulled together just the slightest bit in concentration as he began to add in chords played by his left hand. Jim was caught up in awe at the expression.

It was almost like they were in a trance, Spock captured by the music, hands moving of their own accord, and Jim captured by Spock. That was the most expressive he'd ever seen the half-Vulcan's features, the most unguarded... It was.... Jim wasn't sure what it was, but it was definitely something.

Then the spell was broken all at once as the front door opened. Spock's eyes snapped open, his head going up and facing the front door, retracting his hands from the keys with a sloppy, sour note. Jim looked over at the door, too, where his mother stood. She had the beginnings of tears showing in her eyes.

"Mom?" he asked, unsure. Was something wrong?

"Moonlight Sonata," she said, looking at Spock, who nodded tersely. It seemed that he didn't know exactly what to do, either. "That was your father's favourite song. He played it at our wedding," she said, turning her attention to her son, this time. She laughed, then, breaking the tension, and swiped at her eyes.

Jim stood, smiling, glad that she was just reminiscing, and not that something was terribly wrong. Though, it still put a little bit of a strain on things. Winona Kirk wrapped her son in a tight hug then held him back at arm's length to look over him.

"You've put on some muscle," she commented, squeezing his bicep loosely. She smiled at him, then looked past him. Jim turned, too, to see Spock standing rigidly by the piano bench. His cheeks had just the faintest hint of green to them and he looked extremely uncomfortable.

"T'nar pak sorat y'rani, Spock," she said, lifting her hand in the Vulcan salute.

The sense of stiffness vanished from him as Jim observed. Spock's eyebrows shot up high, obviously surprised by Winona's Vulcan greeting. He lifted his hand in response, fingers splayed in the forked gesture. "T'nar jaral, Mrs. Kirk," he said, bowing his head humbly. He looked very regal doing that, like some really exotic, foreign royalty. The eats and eyebrows were accentuated and drove that point home. Those, along with the angular face really_ did_ make Spock look so... untouchable, and above everything.

Jim's attention was snapped away from that tangent as his mother tutted her tongue and shook her finger disapprovingly at Spock. "Oh, no you don't," she said and shook her head, "you call me Winona."

Spock arched an eyebrow, his gaze shifting momentarily to Jim and then back to Winona. He nodded, dipping his head once. "Of course, Winona." He turned to Jim, then, "The similarities between your mother and you are uncanny, Jim."

Jim laughed lightly. Dry humour was a Vulcan trait, it seemed. "Well, I think she's a lot more bothersome than me, and I'm much prettier," he said, only to be silenced by an elbow to the ribs, along with his mother's own musical laughter.

Spock merely arched an eyebrow again.

"Well, it's very nice to just stand here and talk, but why don't we move the conversation to my hover car and head out to get dinner?" she suggested.

It was agreed upon quite easily and within ten minutes they were seated around a table waiting for their food. Dinner went smoothly enough, Jim doing enough talking, prompted by his mother's questions, to make up for Spock's lack of conversational skills. He described several exploits after the Nero incident, and asked Spock to recount parts, as well, making it a goal to trick the quiet half-Vulcan into telling stories. His mother seemed delighted by this and ate up every story they told with extensive amounts of enthusiasm. Jim, too, enjoyed stopping and listening to Spock as he told about several of their hazardous away missions.

He had a soothing voice that always seemed to calm Jim down. Even in the middle of the particular Klingon attack that Spock took several minutes to describe (Which had taken place about three weeks ago and was a pretty close fuckin' call, in Jim's opinion) anything Spock had said managed to cut the rising panic within Jim and soothe him back into a—dare he say it?--_logical_ frame of mind so he could give the right commands to save all their asses.

They ended up staying in the restaurant until long after all their plates had been cleared, and carried their conversation back to the house, into the living room, around the fireplace (to which Spock sat very closely). Winona dug out several throws, one each for her and Jim, and handed two over to Spock, who seemed immensely grateful.

The usually uptight man seemed to have relaxed greatly since arriving in Jim's hometown. His shoulders seemed loose, instead of so tense like Jim so often imagined would cause cramps. His face, though it was minutely so, was more expressive, he was more apt to raise his eyebrows in amusement or confusion or contemplation than he normally was, and Jim could've sworn he even saw the corners of his mouth twitch up in a half-smile.

He was currently showing just how relaxed he was by the position he'd taken up on the couch. He had his feet curled up underneath him on the opposite end of the cushiony couch as Jim. One of the blankets was thrown around his shoulders, pulled tight in the front by his hands, which were laid lightly against his chest. The other was thrown across his lap, covering his feet, which were already in what Jim suspect to be two (or maybe even three) layers of socks, judging by how fluffy his feet looked.

At one point, Jim was paying attention as he stretched out on the sofa, listening to his mom talk about a bunch of people he knew from high school, and his foot managed to slip under the edge of the blanket and brush Spock's ankle where his pants leg had ridden up slightly. They both looked at each other for a long moment, equally surprised by the skin-on-skin and the small shock it gave, like static electricity, but different (at least, that's how it felt on Jim's side, anyway). Then Jim pulled his foot away, giving a small, apologetic shrug and turned his attention back to his mother, trying to figure out who she had begun talking about when he wasn't paying attention.

Their conversation lasted long into the night, until it was late enough that both of the Humans were yawning and they decided to call it a night.

Winona fussed for a full ten minutes over making sure that Sam's old room had enough blankets and was warm enough for Spock, and that he had everything he needed. He assured her several times that everything was sufficient and thanked her several times, as well. The whole scene made Jim (who leaned against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest, watching) laugh.

When she finally went to bed, Jim was left to watch the slightly flustered half-Vulcan (who was certainly not accustomed to being fussed over, it seemed) smooth the pile of blankets over his bed for a minute. It made him grin. He was too lost in thought about how amusing and endearing it was to see Spock so uncomfortable for such a trivial reason to realize that Spock had turned and was watching him. Jim blinked and raised his eyebrows, to which Spock responded by arching an eyebrow of his own. Jim grinned and Spock tilted his head to the side quizzically, which only made him grin wider.

After a moment, Spock blinked, looking _way_ too much like a cat, and straightened his head again as he spoke spoke, "Good night, Jim. I shall see you in the morning."

Jim nodded in response, pushing away from the door frame and backing out into the hall. "G'night, Spock. See ya tomorrow," he said, turning and waving his hand over his shoulder before going across the hall to his own childhood room.

–

A/N: Yay!!! Sorry, it's been, like a month! Merry Christmas? Does that make it better? Lol. I kindda lost my muse for a while, on this story, but it's back! Expect updates, y'all!! Though, probably maybe once a week, 'cause I'm a loser. Maybe more often, since I've got a few weeks to just fuck around before I've gotta go back to school x3

Oh, I'd also like to thanks all of you guys who don't review, but do Favourite/Alert me and/or my story! Even though I don't hear anything from you guys, the alerts I get on my email are always a bit motivator!! I have a little giggle-spasm every time I get a new reader!

MissStud: lol He scared the shit outta Jim, too. Not Spockie, though. He's got a cool head. ^_^

MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Thanks for the constant enthusiasm and inspiration. I always look forward to reading your feedback.

Ecsuss: yay, thanks! No worries about it ending soon. You'll get plenty more. This is gonna be a bigg'un.

Veglma: That whole paragraph with the little accidental touch? I totally went back and added that just for you, because of you excitement over the awkward, sexually charged touching. And, don't you worry, there'll be some pondering on the awkward, sexually charged touching tonight. XD Muwahahahaha!!

Mildetryth: Not sure when I'mma work it in, but it'll be in here, somewhere, for sure. Lolz Oh, Jim's gonna smile at Spock _plenty_ if you get my drift. XD lolz Maybe sometime in the "ohemgee, I'm in love with a VULCAAAANNNN!!! wtf!?!" talk that we all know is inevitable.

Rose taylor: Yay! Glad ya like it! Thanks bunches!!

kakashidiot: (Shannon is a shameless Kaka fangirl, as well, by the way!!) Oh, yeah, emotionally stunted-Spock is adorable. Lolz. Thanks for the compliments! I always get super pumped about, like, specific compliments that tell me what you guys like. And I try really hard to keep my boys canon. ^_^

Kitsune: Yep. Spock made her cry! Lolz. That didn't put _too_ much of a damper on things, though. But There'll be plenty of drama, Shannon promises. -diabolical laughter-

circa divide: Thanks! Sorry it was so long!!!

KingdomHearts222: lol. Bones is probably gonna grumble about "I'm the doctor, dammit, I'm supposed to heal you, not the other way around, damn green blooded hobgoblin!" forever. Lol. Maybe we'll find out exactly what Spock and Jim were thinking during that whole incident tonight, as they ponder the day. I haven't decided if I'm going to do one or both of them, just thinking the day over, in bed or not.

Xhanako: I know. He's so adorable!! Well, Jim _is_ his first crush. Lol. Oh, and Sulu/Chekov? Fo' shizzle. I might not go, like, full on puppy dog eyes and hand holding stuff, but there'll definitely be hints, at least!

Peachly: Oh, my darling dearest, how I do love you so. I told you I'd be updating soon. Remember when I told you I had half of it typed up? It was actually only, like, a quarter of what I actually ended up with xD Okay. Characterization compliments? Thanks a bunch for that, 'cause I really do try. Like, I go back and read things over and am like "Fuck... he wouldn't do that.... damn, I gotta change it, now..." all the time. XD I kindda tend to make Jim like a slightly more guy-ish version of myself, because I'm pretty damn random, but mature (in a weird sorta or immature way lol) like he is. Ohemgee, definitely POST the Thanksgiving one. And you've got, like a few _hours_ to post your Christmas chapter for Illogical!!! Ya'd best hurry it up, girl! Anyway, you also need to finish Glove. I agree with you on the whole Jim not being scared of Uhura thing, 'cause it bugs me when people do that, too. Congrats on recognizing the blood pressure thing for what it is, too. We'll see it eventually. I haven't decided whether it's gonna be soon, or I'mma save it or not yet, though .We'll see.... Ohhhhh, how mysterious am I!? Lol

Oh, and a little free endorsement? Go check out Peachly's stuff. S'all great. She's fabulous.


	16. Meditation In Iowa

When Spock was finally left alone in the room that was temporarily his, he allowed himself to exhale heavily, in a not-quite sigh of relief. It was not that he did not enjoy Jim's or Winona's company—quite the contrary, he found them quite agreeable—he simply valued his privacy and alone time highly. He glanced around the room for a moment, gathering his thoughts, then quickly stripped out of the clothes from that day, suppressing a shiver as the cold air his his warm skin.

He pulled on a pair of thermal long johns, one of the most practical human inventions he'd come upon. He found that they insulated very well without being uncomfortable against his sensitive skin. Over those he pulled out a simple pair of black 'lounge pants', as they were termed on the packaging they had come in. A short sleeved, white t-shirt, then black thermal shirt, then, finally, Grey sweater that draped itself loosely over his shoulders were all three pulled over his head. He kept the three layers of socks he had on in place.

When he was sufficiently wrapped up, he folded his already worn clothes and laid them in the corner before moving to sit on the bed. He positioned himself in the center of the mattress, brining his legs up beneath him, folding them intricately in one of his meditative poses. He took in a slow, deep breath, releasing it through his nose and closing his eyes, resting his forearms casually on his knees in a relaxed, informal posture, slipping into a light meditation. Today's events would require much contemplation.

He began to center his mind, focusing on clearing it, ridding it of all the emotions he currently held. He found that he hadn't exactly noticed the odd feeling that had crept up on him, almost like a predator stalking prey. It was not a bad feeling, quite the opposite. He felt... light. Content. There was no reason for him to feel so satisfied at that moment—nothing of great importance had taken place that day, but he felt so nonetheless.

He reluctantly cleared it from his mind as he delved into his pristine memories of the day, beginning with the shuttle. That had been a... confusing trip. Confusing, and very fascinating.

The first thing that had intrigued him had been the fact that Jim had seemed to so easily tune into his very subtle emotional responses. While aboard the _Enterprise_ and here, on Earth, in the presence of humans, Spock had allowed his.... 'Vulcan-face', as Doctor McCoy put it, to slip, somewhat. He was not nearly as careful with his facial expressions, mannerisms, and gestures as he was on Vulcan.

Perhaps all of that was true, but he was 100% certain that his expressions and such were still slight enough that most would not pick up on them without careful observation. He was not sure whether it was disconcerting or comforting to know that Jim watched him so closely. Either way, it was peculiar.

Then there was the contact....

At the thought, that strange feeling returned, sending a small jolt of _something_ down his spine, causing him to shiver minutely. He immediately still his body, squelching the sensation. It had happened first on the shuttle. They had been in a suddenly shocking, and very possibly dangerous situation. Spock should have had his wits about him and been on high alert, but then the other man had come crashing into him.

Normally any form of unexpected contact would have caused a minor distraction, but Jim had quite neatly face-planted in his stomach. Even so, it had pulled his mind away from any possible dangers and to the sudden, illogical, focus on that contact. He had been ultra aware of every moment, every millisecond, that Jim had lingered there. The way his hands slipped forward, sliding several inches up his thighs to brace himself as he pulled backwards, had stirred something unidentifiable within him.

He had thought, at first, that it had been completely one-sided, that Jim had no idea of the strange sensations their contact caused. He had thought that he was merely being over receptive. But, then there had been that moment of brief contact on the couch, during which Jim had looked at him with such an expression that strongly suggested he had felt something, as well.

Spock was not sure what, precisely, this sensation was, but it was most certainly something out of the ordinary. He decided that would not easily be able to discern the meaning of the sensations without further observation, but that necessitated more touching. He was not sure whether he wished that or not, and decided that the possibilities needed more meditating over.

He spent the entire night thinking through scenarios and possibilities in his head.

–

A/N: So, yeah? I promised there'd be ponderings! What ever _could_ these 'sensations' Spock's experiencing be? I wonder, lol. XD

Music-is-luv: Thanks! Yay for new reviewers/readers!

Jeanca: Ooohhh, I never thought about that... Hmmm. There are possibilities there. I'll have to consider this.

Veglma: Teehee. Here's your pondering. Not sure if I'mma do a Jim chapter, or not. Probably not, but _maybe_.

MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Yay! Thanks for your support. I especially like mama Kirk.

xHanako: lol. Hmm... probably. I feel like it might just be a little 'off', if you know what I mean, like it would taste generic, or processed or, like... rubbery? Maybe. Just 'off'.

Harm Marie: Meeee toooo. =]

Circa divide: Yay! Thanks. Spock _is_ adorable, no matter what. Lulz

mildetryth: I know, me tooo!!! I love bundled up Spock. That's why there was, like, a whole paragraph and a half dedicated to detailing what he was dressed in, in this chapter. Lol.

Calipalace; =] Thanks. I like shore leave stuff, too. That's great, and all, but that's definitely not all that this fics gonna be, don't worry! This is totally turning into my baby. It's probably gonna end up being, like, a hundred chapter, or something. And the stare was totally my favourite part, too.

Peachly: Yush, dearie. You get uber-long reviews because I love you thiiiiiiisssss much! Lol. Oh, and the thimble thing? My friend Katie's grandma has a bigass collection of thimbles all displayed everywhere in their house and I was like 'wtf!?' when I first saw them, because I'd never seen anything besides a plain old thimble before, and I could only imagine how amplified the wtf-ness would be if you didn't even know what a thimble was. Haha.

Rose taylor: I might add in a teeny bit of angsty-ness later with mom being away a lot and leaving them with the step-dad from Hell, but not too much. I'm thinking after the whole car off cliff incident she got her head on straight and the super mom that we all know she is came out in her.


	17. Breakfast Burns

"I'm really surprised that he didn't wake up way before us. Especially since we've been banging around in here," Winona said as she tucked a strand of hair neatly behind her ear as she flipped the egg she had frying over to cook the other side before sliding it out onto the plate to her left.

To her left, Jim nodded. "I know. I don't think I've even ever seen him sleeping. Actually, I take that back—I _know_ I've never seen him sleep. He's always up ridiculously early, too. Maybe he's been trying to get by on just meditation for too long and sorta crashed. Or maybe he needs to sleep more, since he's part human," he said as he used the long tongs in his hand to pull a few pieces of bacon out of the pan and put them on a plate to his left. He also had some tofu bacon, just in case Spock decided to be adventurous and try some (Winona had stocked up on non-meats since there was a vegetarian in the house with them). Jim highly doubted it, though—the half-Vulcan had found anything resembling meat in the past to be distasteful and he doubted that would change now.

They had plenty of fruit, though. Cereal (Jim was pretty sure Spock could drink milk but, just in case, they had a carton of soy in the back of the fridge) and toast and other random goodies, too. Not that Spock was too picky about his food, but his mother had always prided herself on feeding her guests well and a no-meat restriction was no reason to skimp on that tradition.

"Maybe the high and mighty Vulcan is zonked out 'cause he doesn't have a real alarm clock and that legendary internal clock of his isn't all it's cracked up to be," Jim said, snorting a laugh afterwards.

"Oh, hush," his mother said, shaking her head disapprovingly and leaning to bump her son with her hip.

Jim grinned and shuffled a half step away. In the process, he managed to catch his foot on a rumple in the little rug Winona had set out in front of the stove to catch grease splatters. James Tiberius Kirk was never clumsy, but that particular little stunt could fool most people into thinking so.

"Shit!" he yelped as he stumbled, then just barely regained his footing before he fell. The sizzling bacon grease splashed over the edge of the pan, more than a few drops landing on his skin and burning him. He yelped again. "Dammit!"

Winona had instinctively stepped back and shook her head and sighed, setting her spatula down. "Child, you are more trouble than you're worth. Are you okay?" she asked as she took his hand in hers and examined the angry red splotches raising to welts on his forearm.

"Yeah, I'm-" he started then a loud _thud_ interrupted him and he jerked his head around. "Spock?" he asked and pulled away from his mother, rounding the corner to peer into the first room down the hall.

Jim nudged the door open and peeked in and his jaw dropped. "Shit, Spock!" He said and quickly opened the door the rest of the way. The half-Vulcan was laying in a heap on the hard wood floor, barely a meter away from his bed. As Jim neared, the other man pushed himself up with his arms and sat up right, swaying slightly. He held one hand up to stop Jim's progress and shook his head.

"I am not injured or ill. I merely lost my balance and fell. I heard you call out. Are you well?" he asked. His voice was slightly thick, like someone who'd just woken up. Jim guessed that was normal, since the Vulcan had obviously just woken up, but it just didn't seem to fit him, somehow.

Jim creased his brow. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just burnt myself a little. You _fell_ down?" Jim asked incredulously.

Spock merely nodded.

"Because you _lost your balance_?" he asked, pressing the point further.

"As I stated previously," he said and blinked his rapidly several times, remaining sitting motionlessly on the floor.

"But... why?" Jim asked, now puzzled. It was obvious that Spock wasn't surprised by this, but... Vulcans didn't just trip, did they? He'd never seen anything less than graceful come from Spock in the past, short of when he was hurt somehow. A sudden thought occurred to him. "You're not hurt, are you?" he asked, a note of panic in his voice.

"I am uninjured," he repeated. "I merely have..." he hesitated. Spock _hesitated._ Spock _never_ hesitated. The half-Vulcan was always so sure of himself. Jim had never heard him pause to consider what he was saying before.

"...a preexisting medical condition that occasionally causes dizziness immediately upon waking." he said.

….

"Huh?"

Spock gave Jim a very patient look and slowly, tentatively pushed himself off the floor. Jim extended his arms, as if to catch Spock in case he fell, but the other waved him away.

"I have low blood pressure," he explained.

"...huh?" Jim repeated dumbly again.

"Jim, if you have been rendered incapable of saying anything else besides 'huh', I believe your health concerns are far more grave than my own," he said, raising an eyebrow.

Jim's face heated slightly and he started to apologize, but was saved from tripping over his own tongue by his mother.

"Are you boys okay in here?" Winona asked, appearing at the door and wiping her hands on her apron.

Spock turned his attention to her and gave the Vulcan equivalent of a smile, which was really just a politely interested face. "We are, Winona.," he said, using her first name, like she'd asked.

She smiled kindly in return and nodded. "Well, then, breakfast is ready. Come and eat, now," she said before scuttling back to the kitchen, herself, to finish laying out the plates. Spock followed her almost immediately and Jim was left alone in the half-Vulcan's temporary bedroom for a moment, still way more confused than he should've been.

He knew Spock wasn't invincible or immortal, of course, but the man had always seemed that way to Jim. Even on the most dangerous away missions they'd faced since beginning their mission, he hadn't ever been injured more than a few scrapes or bruises, which he had always acted like didn't even hurt a little. One of Jim's most vivid memories of Spock was him with a big cut across his forehead, green blood running down into those eyes while he calmly picked off charging Klingons with his phaser, brows drawn together in concentration slightly. The image of him crumpled on the floor, or swaying dizzily where he sat, did not match his ideals.

After a few minutes, Jim sighed and shook his head, dispelling the thoughts, and followed his mother and his First Officer to breakfast.

–

A/N: ohmaigawsh... it's been so long! Can you ever forgive me? -bows apologetically- I'm so sorry! It's really thanks to all you guy's comments and encouragement, though, that I've started back up again. Thanks bunches to those of you who kicked me in the ass and told me to get up and go. Haha.

Circa divide: We're slow building, but there's steadily going to be more and more tension between them. Lol. Like Jim's mental image or super Spock. Lol

Rose Taylor: He _does_ think too much. Lol. They'll get to do some definite non-thinking soon enough, though. ^^ haha

Lady Merlin: Thanks and no problem! Your stuff is always awesome and you're such a delight to interact with. =) What'd ya think of this chapter, now that I'm actually back in the game?

Kakashidiot: I like when he plays the piano, too. Lol Thanks! (btw, I love your screen name. Lol)

Jeanca: lol I made up for my quickness by not updating for, like, six months.

Calipalace: Yeah, I love how oblivious he is xD it's cute.

MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Thanks for your constant reviews on all my work. And I'm finally back in it!

R a a i n: Yeah. I was debating whether I should put a Jim musing chapter in, but then didn't. He seems like the type not to really think about it too much, yeah? Lol

crazikido2: Thanks for all your reviews! Lol. I'm glad you like my story. And it's always awesome to know that you've picked up new fans, even 16 chapters in.

lov2catnap: I'm glad you love it so much, and I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting for so long! Like I said, it's awesome to have new fans almost 20 chapters in, so I appreciate your review.

Cheekyamericangrl211: Thanks! I'm glad you found it again, too!

Naruke3176: Thanks. Sorry I took so long

inufire: Thanks and sorry I made you wait so long Dx

Veglema: The feeling is not 'lame' or 'lost' Thanks for trying, play again. Lol

MissStud: lmao xD

LittleLostVulcan: That was very flattering. Thanks, so much! I make them play it out in my head, too. Lol. I'll be sure to get on the whole "Stop talking in Vulcan or I'll bludger you!" thing. Lol.

L.A.H.H.: Yeah, I'm still going. Even though it didn't seem like it, for a while

FallChild92: Thats a hefty compliment! Thanks!

Lazy crazy daisy: Thaaaanks! I think so, too. ^^

bookworm-4-ever2010: I Am Grateful That Nothing Terrible Has Happened To Me! lol. Happy I granted your wish? Lol

pumpie2: Me too! It's adorable ^^ lol

latitude142: No, it was never forgotten. I just had cronic writer's block for half a year

clurr: I'll be better about updating more often now. Promise!

Robins princess starfire: You were actually that last kick I needed to get going again. So, thanks for scolding me, Ma. ^^ lol


	18. Snow and Strawberry Jam

A/N: So…. I'm totally a horrible person. It's been almost a year since I've updated. I feel like a TOTAL bum and I understand if you all completely hate me Dx BUT! I'm trying ot make it up to you with this chapter. And my eternal love?

Here it is!

About halfway through breakfast, Jim's mom started looking ponderously out the window. It sort of reminded him of the way that Spock would stare off into space when he was concentrating. After two eggs, a slice of toast, and three strips of bacon Jim finally spoke up, "What're you staring at, Mom?"

Winona's gaze shifted to her son and she smiled slightly. "It's going to snow," she said very matter-of-factly.

In unison, both he and Spock leaned to look out the window out at the clear blue sky. Jim's eyebrows pulled together slightly and he saw Spock's head tilted to the side out of the corner of his eye.

"There are no clouds in the sky," the half-Vulcan stated simply.

Winona shrugged, seeming unconcerned with the fact that it was impossible for it to snow if there were no clouds. Spock seemed about to speak up to argue again, but was interrupted by an enthusiastic clap as the woman stood up.

"Let's go harvest the rest of my vegetables!" she said excitedly as she stood, grabbing up the empty plates in front of everyone before dumping them in the sink to be dealt with later. Jim and Spock exchanged skeptical glances for a moment, but then Jim shrugged and Spock nodded in agreement and they both stood to go get dressed.

Jim went to his room to change. He pulled on a pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt. Over that he put on a red and black plaid flannel shirt, buttoning it up halfway. He finger combed his messy hair so that the random angles it stuck up at were a little better looking. When he rounded the corner to the back of the house where his mother had always kept her little garden, he whistled in appreciation.

That 'little garden', which had previously consisted of half a dozen rows of carrots, tomatoes, potatoes and a few other things, had now grown into a proper field. It was at least twenty rows, at first glance, and took up nearly the whole back yard before the white picket fence where the pastures started. She and Spock were already out there, crouched and plucking some weird green thing that Jim'd never seen before from short, fat stalks.

He walked over slowly, wondering how Spock had gotten there so fast. The other man hadn't been dressed during breakfast, either. Judging by the fact that Spock looked like his waist was an inch thicker (which was totally noticeable without having to state of anything on such a slim guy) Jim was guessing that the Vulcan had on a layer of long johns and _at least_ two shirts. Maybe three, who knows? God, it would take him forever to get those clothes off. Not that that fact really mattered to Jim. It would just take Spock a long time in the bathroom before he got in the shower.

Anyway.

Jim joined them to find that they were already engaged in a conversation and he was content to just sit and listen for a minute.

"...he was only 8 and they kicked him out into the rain! Can you believe that? It wasn't like the fire had actually been his fault," she said and shook her head. Spock looked very interested in the story and it took Jim's mind a moment to catch up and he gave her a horrified look.

"Mom! Don't tell him that!" he said. She merely laughed and continued her picking. Jim glanced at Spock, but the damage had been done. The half-Vulcan seemed to be considering the story and there was no way Jim could overlook that amused light in his eyes. Jim sighed and shook his head hopelessly.

They made small talk for the rest of the time until they had picked the last of the vegetables that were left in the garden. They carried the several baskets that they'd filled up back into the house and Winona surveyed the spoils approvingly. She put one finger to her chin, looking thoughtfully at the few fruits they'd managed to find.

"Why don't you boys run into town for me? See if you can find any old-fashioned mason jars. I want to make jam," she said.

Jim chuckled when Spock raised his eyebrows. "It's a really old thing. Like, 20th century old. Hardly anyone ever makes home made jam anymore," he said to the half-Vulcan, who merely nodded, very sagely looking, like some big secret had just been revealed to him.

They went out to the hover car and Jim hopped in the driver's side, turning the key in the old car's ignition. It kicked up once, then rolled over and died. He furrowed his eyebrows and frowned, staring accusatorially at the ignition, as if glaring might make if work. After a few more tries, he gave up and looked over at Spock, who was sitting patiently in the passenger seat.

The Vulcan looked back at him, blinking once and Jim shrugged. "I guess it's dead. Wanna walk? It's not that far, really. Less than a mile to the store, then back," he said, opening his door and getting out.

Spock tipped his head once in ascension. "That would be agreeable," he said and Jim rolled his eyes at the familiar choice of wording.

They went back in the house and grabbed their coats, since they'd be outside for a lot longer and the wind was picking up a little bit. Jim put on his black leather jacket again, the one he used to wear when he rode his motorcycle a lot and, after a moment's hesitation, threw a dark green scarf around his shoulders. He didn't wrap it yet, just let it hang freely down to his hips. He met Spock by the front door. The Vulcan was wearing a dark grey double-breasted pea coat that went down to his waist and fit him perfectly, as opposed to Jim's jacket, which was a little snug through the shoulders. Jim couldn't help but think of how elegant his First Officer looked. Dark colours definitely suited him.

It took him a moment to realize that Spock was waiting expectantly with one gloved hand on the doorknob, and one eyebrow raised curiously.

"Right," he said, trying to cover up the fact that he'd just been staring stupidly, "let's go, then."

The trip into town didn't take all that long, even walking at a leisurely pace. It was maybe ten minutes later that they walked in the front door. Jim glanced around for a moment then headed to the left, Spock following close behind and working his way up until the two fell in step together.

Now that they were indoors, the Vulcan had apparently seen it fit to remove his gloves and his pale hands contrasted sharply against the dark coat and pants. Jim glanced at him and was amused to notice that the tips of his nose and ears were all bright green from the cold, like a human's would turn red. It was even more prominent than it had been the day before when they'd been walking to the house and Jim had a sudden compulsion to reach forward and touch the tip of Spock's ear to see how cold it was. But that would be totally inappropriate, of course. Not only would it be weird with a normal person, but this was _Spock_. The guy had 'no-touchy' written across his forehead.

After a minute he realized that they'd passed the mason jars and he turned around to double back. Spock gave him a curious look and Jim merely shrugged. "It's been a while and they've changed stuff around," he said.

"Perhaps you are losing, as they would say, 'your touch', Jim," Spock said.

Jim stopped dead in his tracks and stared at Spock for a long moment. The half-Vulcan held his gaze and raised his eyebrows expectantly. Dear God, had Spock just…. made a joke?

"I… I think you're teasing me," he accused.

"I would do no such thing," Spock insisted, tipping his chin slightly before turning and walking down the aisle a few steps, giving Jim no time to react, "The jars?"

Halfway back down the aisle, he stopped and picked up a couple jars. He thrust three towards Spock, scooping up three in his own arms. He jerked his head towards the front of the store again and started walking to the register. It wasn't until they were done scanning the jars and he was pulling his credit chip from his pocket that Jim got recognized.

"Oh. My. God. Jim Kirk, is that you?" said the cashier.

Jim lifted his head, brows knitting together in confusion. This could end one of several ways. Either it was an old friend, who just wanted to say hi, or it was a girl he'd slept with…. that would be the least desirable option.

"Julie!" he said, trying to keep the relief out of his voice. Not someone who would be mad at him. Julie was an old friend, had been since they were little. He had suspected for years that maybe she liked him, but had never made a move on her-she was one relationship he didn't want to screw up with hooking up.

"Jimmy! It's great to see you. I didn't know you were in town!" she said excitedly and rushed around the counter to embrace him in a hug. He laughed and smiled hugging her back warmly.

"Yeah, I didn't exactly advertise it. I have to worry about media and crazy groupies," he said and held her back at arms length, looking at her. "I'm a regular rockstar." He grinned lopsidedly at her and she laughed musically. Suddenly, he remembered his First Officer, who was looking extremely uncomfortable, standing a few meters away.

"Oh, Julie, this is-"

"Commander Spock," she supplied and Jim's eyebrows shot up. She shrugged. "His name was in every headline right next to yours. I made an assumption. It's a pleasure to meet you, Commander. I'm Julie Jenco, an old friend of Jim's," she said and held out a hand for him to shake.

Spock just stood there and raised an eyebrow at the offered hand, then looked up at Jim, eyebrow still arched skeptically.

Jim grinned and elbowed Julie lightly. "Vulcans don't shake hands. Do this," he said and held his hand up in the traditional Vulcan greeting. Julie quickly retracted her hand and mimicked the gesture, her cheeks darkening slightly.

"Sorry. It's nice to meet you," she said, ducking her head slightly.

Spock remained silent and merely returned the gesture. Jim's eyebrows knitted together momentarily at Spock's sudden lack of enthusiasm. The guy had been teasing him, for God's sake, just a few minutes ago. What was up with him now? It wasn't like him to be so stand-offish and the sudden mood swing seemed unwarranted.

_Whatever, _he thought and shrugged. He'd ask about it later and figure out what was wrong. "So, Julie," he said, turning to her again as he took back his credit chip, "we should get together sometime while I'm here. I know Mom would love to have you for dinner and…" He trailed off as he glanced around, suddenly realizing Spock was no longer beside him. He barely caught sight of Spock's back as the half-Vulcan practically ran out of the story

"Um," he said, frowning and turning back towards Julie, "I have to go…. call me sometime, okay? I'll be in town for a while." He waved over his shoulder as he jogged after Spock. He caught up with the other man about 50 yards away from the store. Absently, he realized his mother had been right-it was snowing. From the looks of it, it had probably started not too long after they'd entered the story. There was a light dusting on the ground that muted all noise around them and it was still coming down pretty hard. They'd have a foot of the stuff in no time.

"Hey," Jim called after him, falling into step beside his First Officer, "What was that all about?"

"I do not know to what you are referring, Jim," he answered brusquely.

Jim's eyebrows shot up and then he narrowed his eyes at Spock, scrutinizing carefully. "You're acting weird, Spock. I've never seen you act like that towards one of my friends before. Did Julie do something wrong?"

"That woman has done nothing wrong, I assure you, Jim. I am still unaware of how I behaved 'rudely'. Would you care to explain? What, precisely, did I do that was rude?"

Jim sighed and shook his head. "You know exactly what you did, you were aloof and cold, like you used to be when we first met."

Spock remained silent, staring straight ahead as they blazed a path through the fresh snow. Jim made a frustrated noise, throwing his hands up in the air. "Whatever. You can be moody if you want."

"I am not being moody, Jim."

"That's exactly what a moody child would say."

"Jim, I-"

"Child!" Jim interrupted, raising his eyebrows as if daring Spock to attempt to challenge him. "I'm the ultimate immature child when I'm in a bad mood. It takes one to know one, Spock," he said and gave the other man a pointed look, "So, are you gonna tell me what's got your panties in a bunch, or keep being a child."

When Spock remained silent for a full 10 seconds, Jim sighed in defeat. "Alright, whatever," he conceded, holding his hands up, "Can you be in a better mood now?"

Spock shot Jim a side-long glance, but Jim could read him well enough to know that the other man's mood was lightening.

"I was never in a bad mood, Jim." Jim grinned sheepishly at him.

They walked in more comfortable silence for another minute before Jim glanced over at Spock again. The blonde could see his own breath forming small clouds in front of him, but Spock's breath made bigger clouds. It made sense, after he thought about it for a moment-Spock's body temperature was a lot higher, so the air he exhaled was probably a lot hotter, too. A Human's nose would probably be red, but Spock's was the most intriguing shade of green, as were his cheeks and the tips of his pointed ears.

The guy hailed from a desert planet, he was probably freezing. "Here," he said, before he really thought about it, prompting Spock to look in his direction. Jim stopped, Spock following suit, and tugged the scarf from his neck. He stepped towards the other man, invading his personal space bubble and looped the scarf around his neck. Spock's eyebrows shot up as Jim adjusted the scarf, letting his hands lingering on his chest as he looked at his handiwork.

"What?" Jim asked, blushing slightly at the look the other man gave him. Luckily, his cheeks were already red and it was unnoticeable, "You look cold and you're a lot more sensitive to low temperatures that I am. It was logical," he defended.

Spock arched one eyebrow and nodded. "Thank you, Jim. I appreciate the gesture and your concern to my well-being."

Jim cracked a wide grin. "All in a day's work, my elfin friend!" he said and laughed at his own joke.

A few minutes of small talk later, they were back home and both covered in a light dusting of snow. They stopped inside the door and started stripping away the outer layer of clothing. Once Jim's shoes, coat and gloves were off, he ran his hands through his hair, making snow fall onto the small rug at the entryway.

He glanced over at Spock as the other man hung up his coat on a hook by the door. The tips of his ears were bright green. "Geez, we need to get you ear muffs or a hat, or something next time we go out," Jim said as he stepped forward. Spock turned to face him just as Jim reached up to cup his ears.

In retrospect, that was a bad decision. Jim _knew_ about Spock's no-touchy thing. He knew, why, too. He knew it would make Spock totally uncomfortable if they touched and he got an accidental peek inside his Captain's head. But sometimes James Kirk didn't think about things very hard before he did them.

As soon as their skin touched, Jim was over come with an overwhelming sense of _Spock_. He couldn't really describe it, or explain how he knew what the feeling was (actually, he wasn't entirely sure what the feeling was) but he just… did.

He felt a rush of warmth, like a strain desert wind blowing across his skin. Things whizzed by in his head, way too quick for him to comprehend, but everything seemed really complicated. There was sorrow, anxiety, regret… but that was all segregated, like they happened in the past. The freshest things hit him ten times stronger. Confusion, nervousness, fondness-a sort of emotional attachment, more confusion, and a strong flare of jealousy.

All of this happened in the span of about 3 seconds. Jim gasped in surprise at the sudden rush of sensation that made his whole body tingle. Spock made a strange sound in the back of his throat and Jim was hit with a wave of a feeling that he was very familiar with-pleasure. Then, suddenly, Spock's hands gripped Jim's wrists and he separated them.

They both stood there for a long time, staring at each other silently. Jim's head reeled from all the new input he'd received and Spock looked more flustered than the blonde had ever seen him.

"What was _that_!" Jim finally managed.

Spock seemed to snap out of whatever thoughts he'd been in and straightened himself, his demeanor shifting back to something very Vulcan. "That was a weak mind meld. I apologize. I let my mental guard down. I was not expecting you to touch me, especially not in such a…. sensitive area," he said shortly.

"That was… your mind?" Jim asked, grasping at straws.

Spock looked supremely uncomfortable at that question but, luckily, he was saved by Winona's voice.

"Did you get my jars, boys?" she called from the kitchen.

"Uh…" Jim said, blinking, "Yeah, yeah, Mom. Coming." He kept his eyes on Spock the whole time. He leaned in close as he passed the other on his way to the kitchen, whispering quietly to him. "You are _so_ not off the hook. We're talking later tonight about this… this," he said, gesturing rapidly between them, indicating whatever it was that was happening between the two of them.

With that, he walked past Spock into the kitchen where his mother was already mashing up strawberries to make jam, leaving Spock to gather his thoughts and follow him a few seconds later.


	19. Equivalant of Molestation

So, my fine, furry friends. This is it. We're about to get inappropriate in this chapter. =O Oh, my. (please tell me at least some of you read that in George Takei's voice. Pleeeease. xD) There is the tiniest iota of progression for their relationship in this chapter and it makes me giggle. And don't worry, I've still got plenty of things to check off on my laundry list for this fic! ^^ Enjoy.

The night flew quickly by, the two Kirks and their guest occupied by various tasks Winona set out for them, mostly including preparing all the fruits and vegetables they'd picked for storage, then pitching in together to make dinner. After dinner they went to the living room once again and talked for a few hours. Again, Spock buried himself in blankets and layers of socks. At around 11 o'clock Winona excused herself and retired to bed, leaving the two men alone in easy silence.

The silence lasted a mere five minutes, both sipping absently on their warm drinks-peppermint tea for Spock and hot cocoa for Jim-before the blonde could no longer contain himself.

"Okay, so. It's spill time. I wanna know what happened earlier," he demanded from the far end of the couch. Spock's eyes shifted slightly, glancing side-long at the other man. He let out a heavy breath that was close to, but not quite, a sigh and set his mug aside on the coffee table. He adjusted himself so he was facing Jim more fully.

Silence reined for approximately 48 seconds while Spock considered his words carefully. During that span of time, Jim became visibly uncomfortable and impatient. He shifted nervously and his eyes darted around before coming back to rest on Spock as he began to speak.

"What we experienced earlier was an accidental transference of emotion. I have become… comfortable here, in your home. I let down some of the mental barriers that I typically keep up when aboard the _Enterprise. _I was not expecting the sudden contact or I would have been able to prevent the bulk of such a transference. I apologize."

Spock observed Jim as he absorbed that information. Whenever his Captain concentrated on something, Spock had observed, he squinted his eyes and a small wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows. It was an expression that the half-Vulcan had become somewhat fond of, as it was typically followed up by a statement that reinforced Spock's belief that James Kirk was far more intelligent than most gave him credit for.

"So…. I peeked into your head?"

"Affirmative."

"You actually _feel_ all of that stuff? All of that emotion was so intense!" he exclaimed, flabbergasted.

Spock chose to remain silent.

Jim gave him a hard look, one Spock was familiar with, as he was often on the receiving end when he did not wish to discuss a particular subject. "Okay, so we're _not_ talking about our feelings tonight. Noted," he rolled his eyes. "Can I ask at least one question about all that…" he paused and gestured vaguely at Spock, "stuff I felt, or received, or whatever?"

"You may ask," Spock said carefully.

"For that last second… after all the other stuff, I guess those were like memories…. or whatever. But after all that, I definitely felt you get turned on, what was _that_? Do I just have that effect on you?" he asked, grinning broadly.

Spock's cheeks darkened, a green flush creeping up his neck slightly. Out of everything that Jim could have asked about, this was what he least wanted to talk about. It would have been far easier to divert attention away from the jealousy he felt when that woman had been so very obviously flirting with his Captain. Or even the fondness he felt for Jim. He did not even know what these things meant, himself, so anything he told Jim would not be a lie.

But, of course, the other man had asked about the thing he couldn't deny-the touching of his ears.

Spock glanced away, an unconscious gesture showing his unease and desire to avoid the subject, then looked back at the other who was waiting expectantly, still smiling deviously.

"My body merely reacted to the physical stimuli presented. Vulcans, as you are aware, have a far different physiology than Humans," he started, the paused, giving into a feeble hope that Jim would be satisfied with that vague explanation.

"…go on," Jim prompted.

Spock's gaze flicked away again and he finally conceded. "One of the traits I inherited from my Vulcan side is the placement of erogenous zones on my body. This includes my ears."

He looked back towards Jim and was surprised by the expression on the other man's face. His smug smile had been replaced with slack-jawed awe.

"Wait, so…. touching your ears turns you on!" he asked, eyes wide. He knew about the whole hand thing-that it was what they did mind melds with, and so sensory receptors were extremely prevalent in that area. But the ears? That was definitely a new one.

"How did I not know this?" he asked.

"It is not a commonly known fact."

Jim considered for a long moment. That was definitely an interesting tidbit to be stored away for a later time. His eyes flicked to Spock's pointed ears, which were still a pale green from the now fading blush that had tinted Spock's skin at the first mention of the subject. He had the sudden urge to touch them again, but more slowly this time. He could practically see his fingertips running up the curved shell of his friend's ear and up to the point.

He shook his head to dispel the images. Whoa. That had been sudden and…. weird. Very weird.

"Uh, anyway…. I've seen people touch you suddenly when you weren't expecting it before. What was so different about earlier?"

Spock shifted very slightly, looking supremely uncomfortable. Jim noticed that Spock tended to glance away or shift his weight when he didn't want to talk about something. It was such a telling quirk that he didn't know how everyone else hadn't noticed it.

"Many others would not connect so intensely as we did," Spock admitted reluctantly.

"Which means…?" Jim seemed to be a lot of trailing off and asking stupid questions lately. Things were getting pretty damn confusing and didn't like it-he felt dumb. It also felt like he was pulling teeth with Spock, trying to get him to talk. He even felt a little guilty, like squeezing the information out of him was like a mild for of torture or something.

"I am…. fond of you, Jim. I think of you as my closest friend and, as such, my mind is far more receptive to yours than it is to any other crew member aboard the _Enterprise_ that has made physical contact with me in the past. You have shown me much kindness. Even though I am not the most receptive partner in social situations, you have repeatedly put yourself in contact with me outside of our duty. I believe that we are, by typical Human standards, close."

Whoa.

Like, _whoa_.

That little speech from Spock was about on the same level as a passionate confession of undying love from a normal person. Jim found himself speechless and in shock for about a minute before a wide grin broke out across his face.

"Why, if that isn't the sweetest thing I think you've ever said in your entire life! I'm flattered, Mr. Spock," he said, adding the title on teasingly, "I could just kiss you." He laughed.

"I would prefer if you did not," Spock said, all proper. Jim could tell that he was teasing him back, though. Once again, the tension that had thickened the air during their conversation dissipated.

"Oh, boo. Maybe you'd prefer I played with your ears, then," Jim said, raising his eyebrows and reaching up to tug lightly on his own ears. He gave his best smoldering look and laughed.

"That would be the equivalent of molestation, Jim. Would you enjoy it if I were to grope you inappropriately?"

Jim's eyebrows shot up and he snickered to himself. "You wouldn't dare." Spock merely arched an eyebrow at him challengingly. "…would you?"

Spock leveled his gaze at Jim steadily.

Jim held the stare for a minute then snorted and broke eye contact. "Nah," he said and laughed, waving dismissively, "definitely not." Though it would definitely be hot. A tight ass like Spock doing something so bold as grabbing him out of the blue? Definite turn on.

If he was turned on by Spock. Which he wasn't. It was just… if there was someone else that he was attracted to that was as much of a tight ass as Spock and they said that, it would be a turn on. Or… something like that. Whatever. Anyway….

He rolled his eyes at Spock again. "I dare you to do something, Spock. Anything inappropriate. I don't think you have it in you," he challenged and, honestly, he really didn't expect Spock to do something. He expected him to dismiss Jim's baiting as childish and illogical.

So, when something in Spock's eyes changed and he leaned across the couch determinedly, Jim was caught completely off guard and didn't even react. Creamy white fingers appeared from beneath the folds of the blanket and reached forward towards him.

Jim inhaled sharply when he felt Spock's hand touch just above his knee and drift lightly up the inside of his thigh. He held his breath, tensing his entire body as he tried desperately to hold in a mortifying moan that his vocal cords seemed intent on producing. When Spock's hand finally stopped, just an inch below the main prize, he exhaled shakily.

Spock let his hand rest there for a long moment before he pulled it back and tiled his head slightly. "I do not enjoy being challenged, Jim," he stated simply. Then, as if nothing at all had happened, he stood, blankets still wrapped around his shoulders, and began walking towards his room. "I am retiring. Sleep well, Jim," he announced, as if everything was completely normal. And hell if Jim wasn't sure he didn't see the damn elf smile a little bit.

The blonde watched, dumbfounded, as Spock left. He stood in shocked silence for a whole minute before he abruptly snapped his mouth closed and walked to his room, still in a daze. "What..?" he muttered to himself, "I don't even…."

He made an aggravated sound and closed his door behind him to attempt to get his mind off of the soft, tantalizing touch of Spock's fingers dragging across his leg, only one layer of clothing separating them. Maybe he'd eventually be able to fall asleep. Maybe.


End file.
